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The  John  Lawson  Monographs 


VOLUME  I 

THE  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

BRANTLEY  YORK 


VOLUME  II 
MEMOIRS  OF  W.  W.  HOLDEN 


GENERAL  WILLIAM  R.  BOGGS 


The  John  Lawson  Monographs 


Trinity  College  Historical  Society 


VOLUME  III 


Military  Reminiscences 

OF 

Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs, 
c.  s.  A. 


INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 

BY 

WILLIAM  K.  BOYD 


The  Seeman  Printer* 

Durham,  N.  C. 

1913 


COPYRIGHTED  1913 

BY 

TRINITY  COLLEGE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


■N0 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Frontispiece 

Introduction     vii-xxiii 

CHAPTER  I 

Purchase  of  Arms :  Defenses  at  Charleston — The  Con- 
federate Ordnance  Bureau — Operations  at  Pensa- 
cola — Criticism  of  Confederate  Military  Appoint- 
ments           1-21 

CHAPTER  II 

Military  Service  of  Georgia — Defenses  of  Savannah 
— Problems  of  the  Appalachicola  River  and  the 
Interior   of  -  Georgia — Charleston 22-33 

CHAPTER  III 

The  Invasion  of  Kentucky  (1862) — Battle  of  Rich- 
mond— Capture  of  Lexington — The  Inauguration 
at  Frankfort — Retreat    34-48 

CHAPTER  IV 

Inspection  of  Cumberland  Gap  —  Promotion  —  With 
Kirby  Smith  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department 
—Richard  Taylor,  T.  H.  Holmes,  and  Smith- 
Spies — Contraband  Trade  in  Cotton — Officers  un- 
der General   Smith — Problem  of  Communications    49-73 

CHAPTER  V 

East  Days  of  the  Confederacy — Interview  with  Gen- 
eral Smith — The  Banks-Taylor  Campaign — Resig- 
nation as  Chief  of  Staff — The  Surrender 74-86 


APPENDIX 

COMMENTARIES 

I.  Charleston  and  Pensacola    89-92 

II.  Ordnance    92-93 

III.  Fighting  at  Pensacola   93-99 

IV.  Bragg  and   Confederate  Military  Appointments  99-104 
V.  General  Anderson   and   Bragg 105-108 

VI.     Note  on  General  Sam  Jones 108-109 

VII.     Cotton   Speculation    109-111 


INTRODUCTION 


No  military  conflict  has  ever  been  the  theme  of  so 
many  memoirs  by  its  participators  as  the  American 
Civil  War.  The  narratives  of  Sherman  and  Johnston, 
McClellan  and  Longstreet,  Grant  and  Hood,  Schofield 
and  Mosby,  and  of  other  leading  generals  are  but  the 
;vanguard  of  an  almost  endless  amount  of  similar  testi- 
mony. Indeed  it  seems  that  the  cherished  desire  of 
well-nigh  every  patriot  engaged,  if  he  had  the  gift  of 
self-expression,  has  been  to  give  to  posterity  an  ac- 
count of  his  part  in  our  great  national  tragedy,  and 
as  the  ties  of  mortal  life  weaken,  this  desire  becomes 
stronger.  Hence  as  the  number  of  survivors  dimin- 
ishes, the  number  of  memoirists  increases,  so  that  dur- 
ing the  past  decade  the  publication  of  personal  ac- 
counts of  the  Civil  War  seems  to  rival  that  of  the 
earlier  years  just  after  the  conflict  when  the  memory 
of  all  readers  was  full  of  military  recollections. 

It  is  therefore  eminently  fitting  that  the  Reminis- 
cences of  General  William  R.  Boggs  should  be  given 
to  the  public.  Their  value  well  merits  the  attention  of 
all  interested  in  Confederate  military  history.  By  taste 
and  training  General  Boggs  was  a  soldier,  having  grad- 
uated with  high  honors  from  West  Point.  His  mili- 
tary activity  under  the  Confederacy  was  entirely  in 
fields  which  popular  interest  too  often  neglects,  the 
erection  of  fortifications  on  the  coast  and  the  Confed- 
erate operations  in  Kentucky  and  the  southwest.  Even 


vni  Introduction 

more  important  is  the  fact  that  he  wrote  for  the  in- 
formation of  his  children,  not  for  the  public,  his  man- 
uscript being  prepared  in  1891.  His  criticisms  are 
therefore  those  of  a  professional  soldier,  stated  most 
frankly  and  without  reservation,  concerning  Confed- 
erate operations  too  often  overshadowed  in  the  mem- 
ory of  Southerners  by  the  glories  of  the  Virginia  bat- 
tlefields. 

The  ancestors  of  William  Robertson  Boggs  were 
distinguished  in  both  civil  and  military  affairs.  His 
maternal  great-grandfather  was  "Scotch  Billy"  Rob- 
ertson of  Chesterfield  County,  Virginia,  who  served  in 
the  colonial  wars.  The  next  in  line,  John  Robertson, 
likewise  served  the  colony  and  his  son,  William  Robert- 
son (1786-1859)  removed  from  Virginia  to  Abbeville, 
South  Carolina,  served  in  the  South  Carolina  militia 
during  the  Second  War  with  Great  Britain,  and  after- 
wards became  surveyor,  then  Superintendent,  of  the 
South  Carolina  Railroad,  and  also  manager  of  a  line 
of  steamboats  on  the  Savannah  River.  His  wife  was 
Pamela  Moseley,  daughter  of  Joseph  Moseley,  who  had 
migrated  from  Virginia  to  South  Carolina  contempo- 
raneously with  the  Robertsons.  Their  daughter,  Mary 
Ann,  married  Archibald  Boggs,  a  merchant  of  Au- 
gusta, Georgia.  To  them  were  born  nine  children.  Of 
these  seven  survived  infancy.  Three  sons,  William 
Robertson,  Robert,  and  Archibald,  served  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  Of  the  four  daughters  two  remained 
single  and  two  married  brothers  of  the  Butt  family; 
one,  Pamela  Robertson,  became  the  wife  of  Joshua 
Willing  Butt,  one  of  their  sons  being  Major  Archie 


Introduction  ix 

Butt,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  Titantic  disaster  of 
April,  1912;  the  other,  Catherine  Joyner,  married  J. 
D.  Butt,  who  served  in  W.  H.  T.  Walker's  Brigade  of 
Georgia  troops. 

William  Robertson,  the  oldest  of  the  above  named 
children,  was  born  at  Augusta,  March  18,  1829.  Com- 
paratively little  is  known  of  his  early  youth,  but  his 
training  and  associations  awakened  talents  quite  in 
keeping  with  those  of  his  ancestors.  His  preparatory 
education  was  secured  at  the  old  Augusta  Academy. 
To  the  memory  of  its  rector,  William  Ernenputsch,  he 
paid  the  following  tribute;  "What  a  kind  old  teacher 
he  was,  a  German  of  a  small  stature,  and  small  frame, 
but  a  large  head,  and  big  heart.  He  used  to  punish 
sharply  and  severely,  but  not  cruelly.  There  was  not 
a  boy  in  that  school  who  would  not  have  fought  for 
him." 

Very  early  his  interest  in  science  was  awakened. 
Once  he  heard  a  lecture  on  the  impossibility  of  apply- 
ing steam  navigation  to  the  ocean;  at  another  time  he 
saw  the  principle  of  "galvanism"  illustrated  with  a 
small  battery,  but  the  impracticability  of  its  use  for 
industrial  purposes  on  account  of  the  high  cost  of 
mercury  was  pointed  out.  Once  he  and  his  playmates 
gave  his  great-grandfather,  Joseph  Moseley,  an  ac- 
count of  a  steamboat  they  had  seen  on  the  Savannah 
River.  According  to  tradition  the  old  gentleman  lis- 
tened politely,  then  gave  each  narrator  a  sound  thrash- 
ing for  trying  to  impose  on  his  credulity.  Later  when 
Mr.  Moseley  himself  saw  a  steam  boat  at  Augusta  he 
gave  each  of  the  boys  five  dollars  in  gold  as  recom- 
pense for  the  chastisement. 


x  Introduction 

Young  Boggs'  summers  were  spent  at  the  Sand 
Hills,  now  Summerville,  South  Carolina,  then  as  now 
a  resort.  There  an  interest  in  military  life  was 
aroused  by  visits  to  the  army  post  located  near  by. 
Born  with  traditions  of  fighting  and  engineering,  with 
a  latent  interest  in  science  and  military  affairs  awak- 
ened, it  was  natural  for  him  to  find  his  way  to  the 
leading  scientific  as  well  as  the  best  military  school  of 
the  time,  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  He  entered  as  a  cadet  from  Georgia  in  July, 
1849  at  the  age  of  twenty  and  graduated  four  years 
later  among  the  first  five  of  his  class. 

Among  the  students  at  the  Academy  at  that  time 
were  many  who  later  gained  distinction  in  both  the 
Union  and  Confederate  armies.  AmongBoggs'  class- 
mates were  John  B.  McPherson,  Philip  H.  Sheridan 
and  John  M.  Schofield,  later  Union  generals,  and  John 
B.  Hood  of  the  Confederate  service.  Cadet  Boggs 
ranked  high  in  his  class  and  in  the  entire  student  body. 
At  the  end  of  his  first  year  he  was  tenth  in  scholar- 
ship in  a  class  of  seventy-four,  second  in  conduct 
among  the  entire  221  cadets  enrolled.  At  the  close  of 
the  second  year  he  was  second  among  his  classmates 
in  point  of  scholarship,  being  surpassed  only  by  Mc- 
Pherson, and  in  conduct  tenth  in  the  entire  academy. 
The  third  year  found  his  scholarly  standing  unchanged, 
but  his  rank  in  conduct  ninth.  At  graduation  in  1853 
his  rank  in  scholarship  had  dropped  to  fourth,  that  in 
conduct  had  risen  to  third. 

Traditions  of  his  student  life  at  West  Point  centre 
around  artistic  rather  than  military  tastes.     In  1851 


Introduction  xi 

while  Boggs  was  on  adjutant  duty  a  new  cadet  entered. 
His  name  was  James  McNeill  Whistler.  Boggs  was  at 
once  interested  in  the  new  matriculate  because  the  lad's 
father  had  attained  distinction  as  an  engineer.  Whist- 
ler soon  formed  the  habit  of  visiting  the  adjutant's 
office ;  frequently  he  spent  the  time  in  sketching  scenes 
described  in  books  or  suggested  by  life  at  the  academy. 
Boggs  preserved  three  drawings  illustrative  of  West 
Point,  two  suggested  by  characters  in  Dickens,  and 
one  representing  Russian  soldiers.  In  1852  through 
Boggs'  influence  a  drawing  of  Whistler's — the  wood 
cut  also  being  carved  by  Whistler — was  used  to  decor- 
ate the  dance  cards  for  the  academy  ball.  These  are 
probably  the  earliest  existing  products  of  Whistler's 
art.1 

Boggs'  talents  were  evidently  for  the  scientific  prob- 
lems of  military  service.  On  graduation  he  was  made 
Brevet-Second  Lieutenant,  was  assigned  to  the  Topo- 
graphical Bureau,  and  spent  some  time  in  the  office  of 
the  Pacific  Railroad  Surveys.  In  1854  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Ordnance  Corps  and  was  made  assistant 
at  the  Watervliet  Arsenal,  Troy,  New  York.  In  De- 
cember of  the  same  year  he  became  Second  Lieutenant 
and  in  1856  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  First 
Lieutenant.  While  at  Watervliet  Arsenal  he  married 
Mary  Sophia,  daughter  of  Col.  John  Symington,  the 
commandant,  the  date  of  their  marriage  being  Decem- 
ber 19,  1855.  In  1857  he  was  transferred  to  the  Louis- 
iana Arsenal  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana;  in  1859  he 
became  inspector  of  Ordnance  at  Point  Isobel,  Texas, 

1  See  "Whistler's  First  Drawings,"  Century  Magazine,  Sep.,  1910. 


xii  Introduction 

and  on  December  14  took  part  in  an  engagement  with 
Cortino's  Mexican  Marauders  near  Fort  Brown,  for 
which  he  was  given  honorable  mention  by  General 
Scott.  Soon  after,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Alleghany 
Arsenal  at  Pittsburg,  to  which  Col.  Symington  had 
also  been  assigned.  Evidently  the  service  that  opened 
before  Lieutenant  Boggs  in  the  Army  of  the  United 
States  was  that  of  scientific  expert  rather  than  the 
command  of  troops. 

In  1861  the  choice  of  fighting  with  or  against  his  na- 
tive state  was  forced  upon  him.  He  did  not  believe  in 
the  wisdom  of  secession,  but  like  many  of  his  country- 
men he  cast  his  destiny  with  the  South,  resigning  from 
the  United  States  Army  the  very  day  that  the  Georgia 
Convention  adopted  an  ordinance  of  secession.  Alto- 
gether twenty-two  relatives  by  blood  or  marriage  en- 
tered the  Confederate  armies.  His  father-in-law,  how- 
ever, having  been  born  in  Delaware,  having  been  ap- 
pointed to  the  Academy  from  Maryland,  and  having 
spent  thirty-five  years  in  the  Army,  remained  in  the 
United  States  service.  Yet  friendship  and  interest  in 
his  son-in-law  were  not  interrupted.  On  Jan.  31,  1861, 
he  wrote, — "So  my  dear  Boggs,  the  deed  is  done  so  far 
as  your  resignation  is  concerned,  and  we  must  look 
into  the  future  with  hope  that  this  change  may  event- 
uate to  your  full  satisfaction  and  prosperity.  You  are 
of  the  right  stuff  and  I  have  every  confidence  that,  from 
your  energy,  perseverance  and  upright  honesty  you 
will  succeed  in  any  object  you  may  give  your  atten- 
tion to." 

The  nature  of  Boggs'  service  in  the  Confederacy 


Introduction  xiii 

was  similar  to  that  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States, 
that  of  an  engineer  and  ordnance  officer.  He  was  al- 
ways on  staff  duty  and  was  never  given  the  command 
of  troops.  His  criticisms  of  military  operations  there- 
fore suggest  the  observer  rather  than  the  leader  of 
men.  This  characteristic,  together  with  his  scientific 
training  and  utter  frankness,  give  a  distinct  value  to 
his  account  of  the  three  operations  in  which  he  was 
active,  perfecting  fortifications  and  supplies  in  1861, 
Kirby  Smith's  invasion  of  Kentucky  in  1862,  and 
Kirby  Smith's  administration  west  of  the  Mississippi 
from  1863  to  1865. 

When  Lieutenant  Boggs  resigned  from  the  Army  of 
the  United  States,  he  tendered  his  services  to  the  State 
of  Georgia  and  was  immediately  appointed  to  the  staff 
of  Governor  Brown.  He  was  soon  entrusted  with  the 
duty  of  purchasing  supplies  for  his  native  State. 

At  his  suggestion  it  was  determined  to  send  an  agent 
to  Europe  to  procure  an  outfit  for  the  manufacture  of 
small  arms,  while  Boggs  himself  was  to  place  orders 
for  heavy  ordnance  in  Richmond.  T.  Butler  King 
was  ordered  to  Europe  but  he  postponed  his  depart- 
ure in  order  to  carry  orders  for  the  Confederate  gov- 
ernment just  being  organized.  The  delay  was  fatal, 
and  Georgia  never  secured  from  Europe  its  much 
needed  machinery.  Boggs,  however,  went  to  Rich- 
mond, carrying  with  him  the  latest  designs  for  guns 
that  had  been  worked  out  in  Union  arsenals,  and 
placed  large  orders  for  the  State  of  Georgia.  He  also 
superintended  the  conversion  of  the  State  Penitentiary 
into  a  foundry. 


xiv  Introduction 

Soon  he  was  transferred  to  the  Confederate  service, 
going  first  to  Charleston  where  he  assisted  Beauregard 
in*  preparing  its  defenses  for  war.  In  April  he  was 
sent  to  Pensacola  to  assist  General  Bragg  in  erecting 
defenses.  He  found  the  first  urgent  need  to  be  sup- 
plies for  the  troops.  To  meet  it  he  spent  $40,000 
which  had  been  entrusted  to  his  use.  A  second  prob- 
lem was  the  rearrangement  of  the  defenses.  To  this 
end  Boggs  removed  the  barbette  guns  from  the  forts 
and  placed  them  along  the  bluffs  overlooking  the  har- 
bor and  along  the  beach,  and  erected  a  concealed  bat- 
tery south  of  Fort  McRee.  With  these  arrangements 
completed,  it  was  the  intention  to  attact  Fort  Pickens, 
which  was  held  by  the  Federals.  The  plan  was  frus- 
trated by  the  credulity  of  Bragg,  who  allowed  Lieuten- 
ant Worden,  of  the  United  States  Army,  to  cross 
from  Pensacola  to  the  Federal  fleet.  Immediately 
Fort  Pickens  was  strongly  reinforced.  The  effective- 
ness of  the  Confederate  defenses  was  also  impaired 
by  the  arbitrary  action  of  Bragg.  While  Boggs  was 
temporarily  absent  he  placed  a  battery  of  casement 
guns  in  the  open,  south  of  Fort  McRee.  These,  having 
about  one-half  the  range  of  the  barbette  guns,  were 
ineffective  during  the  Federal  bombardment  and  Fort 
McRee  was  silenced.  But  the  Federal  men-of-war, 
the  Niagara  and  the  Richmond,  as  they  reached  the 
shore  were  forced  to  retire  by  Boggs'  concealed  bat- 
tery. "It  was  sometime  in  the  afternoon,"  says  Boggs, 
"when  I  observed  them  swing  around  head  on,  and 
saw  them  move  slowly  up  to  a  new  position.  Having 
no  other  means  after  they  had  taken  up  their  new 


Introduction  xv 

position  and  commenced  firing,  I  got  their  distance  by 
sight  and  sound.  My  first  shot,  afterwards  so  re- 
ported, passed  between  the  masts  of  the  Richmond  and 
the  second  one  hulled  the  ship  so  effectively  as  to  dis- 
able her.  When  some  of  her  timbers  floated  ashore 
next  day  my  Georgians  claimed  them,  and  Bragg  en- 
dorsed their  claim."2 

Inefficiency  and  lack  of  judgment  were  not  the  only 
weak  points  in  the  military  policy  of  the  Confederacy. 
While  at  Pensacola  Boggs  saw  places  of  high  rank  in 
the  Army  given  to  civilians  while  young  officers  like 
himself  failed  to  get  promotion.  Bragg,  on  behalf  of 
the  officers  under  him,  complained  of  the  discrimina- 
tion but  the  most  he  could  secure  for  Boggs  was  a 
nominal  appointment  in  1862  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Louisiana  State  Seminary,  a  military  school.  How- 
ever, the  relations  between  Boggs  and  Bragg  became 
cool;  an  estrangement  gradually  developed,  with  the 
result  that  Boggs  resigned  from  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  States  and  re-entered  that  of  the  State  of 
Georgia. 

Again,  Boggs'  assignment  was  to  engineering  work, 
being  made  Chief  Engineer  with  the  rank  of  Colonel 
by  Gov.  Brown.  He  was  sent  to  Savannah  in  March, 
1862,  to  aid  in  erecting  fortifications.  Again  the  im- 
pression he  received  was  one  of  inefficiency  and  lack  of 
foresight  on  the  part  of  those  in  authority.  He  urged 
the  necessity  of  fortifying  the  islands  on  the  South  Car- 
olina side  of  the  Savannah  River.  The  Confederate 
commander  did  not  think  it  possible  to  stand  on  these, 

2See  page  99. 


xvi  Introduction 

much  less  to  occupy  them,  and  that  a  gun  would  sink 
out  of  sight,  and  seemed  to  rely  upon  some  torpedoes 
that  Captain  Ives  had  placed  there  to  keep  the  gun- 
boats from  coming  into  Wall's  Cut  and  getting  be- 
tween us  and  Fort  Pulaski.  "There  were  some  of  us 
who  had  very  little  confidence  in  Ives'  loyalty  and  the 
fact  that  Ives  had  been  seen  at  work  down  the  river 
caused  us  still  more  anxiety  .  .  .  One  morning  we 
found  the  Federal  gunboats  in  Wall's  Cut  on  the  Caro- 
lina side,  in  which  Ives'  torpedoes  were  supposed  to  be. 
They,  with  the  boats  already  in  the  St.  Augustine's 
Creek,  on  our  side,  cut  off  all  communication  by  water 
with  Fort  Pulaski  .  .  .  General  W.  H.  T.  Walker 
was  very  indignant;  he  proposed  a  plan  for  the  cap- 
ture of  the  gunboats,  offered  to  take  all  the  responsi- 
bility, and  make  the  necessary  preparations,  and  attack 
with  his  own  Brigade.  Had  his  plan  been  promptly 
accepted,  it  would,  in  my  opinion,  have  been  success- 
ful. But  it  was  taken  into  consideration.  Before  the 
consideration  was  concluded  those  islands  on  which  a 
man  could  not  stand  were  covered  with  tents  and 
troops ;  and  those  estuaries  which  had  been  filled  with 
torpedoes,  were  full  of  gunboats."3 

In  recognition  of  Boggs'  work  at  Savannah  one  of 
the  forts  was  named  for  him.  Today  its  site  is  occu- 
pied by  a  fertilizer  factory.  From  Savannah  he  was 
sent  to  the  interior  of  Georgia  to  erect  fortifications 
along  the  upper  Appaiachicola  to  protect  cotton  plan- 
tations from  raids  by  federal  gun  boats.  His  mission 
was  not  effective  because  the  civil  authorities  failed 

3See  page  26. 


Introduction  xvii 

to  co-operate.  In  August  1862,  he  was  again  in  the 
service  of  the  Confederate  States  because  Kirby 
Smith  had  asked  aid  of  Governor  Brown  in  his  im- 
pending invasion  of  Kentucky,  and  Brown's  reply  was 
to  send  Boggs  and  some  artillery  harness  to  Knoxville. 
The  campaign  that  followed  forms  a  new  chapter  in 
the  experience  of  Colonel  Boggs.  Hitherto  he  had 
been  engaged  in  fortification;  now  as  a  member  of 
Kirby  Smith's  staff  he  was  in  close  touch  with  an  ag- 
gressive military  movement.  Indeed  the  invasion  of 
Kentucky  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  disastrous,  of  the  early  Confederate  cam- 
paigns. Kirby  Smith  crossed  the  Cumberland  moun- 
tains from  Knoxville,  while  Bragg  advanced  from 
Chattanooga  northward  across  Tennessee,  crossing  in- 
to Kentucky  by  way  of  Gainesville.  With  their  armies 
united  they  hoped  to  win  Kentucky  for  the  Confeder- 
acy and  to  force  Buell  beyond  the  Ohio.  Kirby  Smith 
was  first  on  the  scene  of  operations.  By  August  30 
he  reached  Richmond,  Kentucky,  and  drove  back  the 
enemy.  How  narrow  was  the  margin  between  victory 
and  defeat  is  well  described  by  Boggs.  During  the 
afternoon  General  William  Nelson,  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Union  forces  in  Kentucky,  personally  took 
the  leadership  and  formed  a  new  line  of  battle  south 
of  Richmond.  "This  was  so  unexpected,"  said  Boggs, 
"that  General  Kirby  Smith  and  myself,  riding  leisurely 
up  the  road  in  advance  of  the  army,  came  within  short 
range  before  we  were  aware  of  it.  Seeing  an  officer 
gallop  down  the  road  and  hearing  him  command  to 
'bring  on  the  cavalry,'  I  rode  close  up  to  and  alongside 


xviii  Introduction 

the  fence,  expecting  them  to  come  up  with  a  rush,  and 
saw  our  victory  turned  into  rout.  Had  they  come, 
Sheridan's  charge  at  Winchester  would  have  been  a 
duplicate.  They  did  not  come  and  we  had  time  to  get 
out  of  the  road  and  form  line;  then  a  single  charge  of 
the  infantry,  before  the  artillery  could  be  brought  into 
action,  drove  them  through  Richmond."4 

From  Richmond  the  victorious  Confederates  pressed 
on  toward  Lexington.  Boggs,  with  a  band  of  infantry 
and  cavalrymen,  marched  before  the  regular  army. 
When  the  outskirts  of  Lexington  were  reached,  he 
rode  back  to  camp  and  found  everything  in  confusion. 
"A  sudden  halt  had  been  ordered,  the  advance  drawn 
back  to  where  I  found  it,  all  the  wagons  were  being 
unloaded  and  sent  back  to  bring  Heth's  division.  A 
herald  was  being  gotten  ready  to  summon  the  Federal 
commander  at  the  sound  of  a  midnight  bugle  to  evacu- 
ate Lexington  or  come  outside  of  it  and  fight.  It 
looked  very  much  like  a  panic.  There  was  no  answer 
to  the  bugle  and  the  herald  rode  into  town  without 
being  questioned.  The  Federal  commander,  Gilbert, 
had  also  been  seized  with  an  uncertainty,  and  while 
we  were  preparing  the  herald  he  was  making  hot  haste 
in  another  direction.  We  now  found  out  that,  if  we 
had  followed  the  Federals  up  closely  we  could  have 
gone  into  Lexington  the  night  before  and  have  cap- 
tured valuable  supplies."5 

The  tide  of  success  now  changed.  Instead  of  ad- 
vancing on  Cincinnati  Kirby  Smith  awaited  orders 
from  General  Bragg,  his  superior.     Bragg's  advance 

*See  page  38. 
6See  page  40. 


Introduction  xix 

had  been  delayed  for  various  reasons  so  that  Buell  out- 
reached  him  in  the  race  for  Louisville.  He  now  order- 
ed Kirby  Smith  to  fall  back  to  Frankfort  and  partici- 
pate in  the  inauguration  of  Richard  Hawes  as  Con- 
federate Governor.  Bragg,  leaving  his  army  at  Bards- 
town,  arrived  at  Frankfort  in  due  time.  The  cere- 
mony took  place  on  October  4,  1862,  but  in  the  after- 
noon news  came  that  Buell  was  advancing  from  Louis- 
ville. Believing  that  the  movement  was  directed  against 
Frankfort,  Kirby  Smith  retired  to  Versailles  and 
Bragg  rejoined  his  army  which  advanced  to  Harrods- 
burg.  Boggs'  narrative  of  the  events  of  the  day  well 
illustrate  the  confusion  and  the  uncertainty  of  the 
Confederate  commanders.6 

During  the  Kentucky  campaign  Col.  Boggs  won  .the 
confidence  of  his  superiors  and  on  General  Kirby 
Smith's  recommendation  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Brigadier  General  and  became  Chief  of  Staff  under 
him  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department  in  the  spring 
of  1863.  The  task  in  the  Southwest  was  complicated 
and  difficult.  Grant  was  besieging  Vicksburg,  and 
Banks  threatened  an  invasion  from  New  Orleans. 
There  was  need  of  co-operative  organization  of  army 
posts  in  Louisiana,  Texas,  and  Arkansas,  while  the 
heavy  production  of  cotton  raised  the  question  of  its 
disposal  beyond  the  lines  of  the  army.  Unfortunately 
there  was  a  distinct  lack  of  unity  in  the  councils  of  the 
Confederate  leaders.  Broadly  speaking  the  cleavage 
was  between  Kirby  Smith  and  his  subordinates,  especi- 
ally Richard  Taylor;  later  Governor  Allen  and  Kirby 

6See  page  43. 


xx  Introduction 

Smith  were  at  cross  purposes.7  Charges  of  inefficiency, 
favoritism  and  secret  influences  were  prevalent.  The 
whole  story  of  the  situation  has  never  been  revealed. 

General  Boggs  soon  found  himself  out  of  sympathy 
with  the  two  active  military  plans  of  Kirby  Smith. 
First  of  these  was  the  demonstration  against  the  Fed- 
eral lines  around  Vicksburg,  which  was  then  besieged 
by  Grant.  This  was  entrusted  to  General  Holmes  of 
the  District  of  Arkansas  but  his  attack  on  Helena, 
made  early  in  July,  was  too  late  to  change  the  fate  of 
the  city.  The  other  military  purpose,  to  prevent  the 
conquest  of  western  Louisiana  and  Texas,  was  ac- 
complished, not,  however,  without  a  conflict  of  wills 
among  Confederate  generals.  The  Federals  took  the 
aggressive  and  inaugurated  two  movements  in  the 
spring  of  1864,  an  invasion  by  Banks  from  New  Or- 
leans and  one  from  Little  Rock  by  Steele.  Believing 
that  Banks  was  the  weaker  of  the  two  generals  Kirby 
Smith  decided  to  engage  him  first  and  gave  that  part  of 
the  defense  to  General  Richard  Taylor,  whose  head- 
quarters were  in  southern  Louisiana.  General  Price, 
who  succeeded  Holmes  in  Arkansas,  was  ordered  to 
forward  to  Taylor  all  his  infantry  and  artillery,  keep- 
ing only  his  cavalry  to  harass  the  advance  of  Steele. 
However,  these  reinforcements  were  halted  at  Kirby 
Smith's  headquarters  at  Shreveport  and  it  was  planned 
for  Taylor  to  harass,  not  engage,  Banks.  The  cause 
of  this  change  of  plans,  according  to  Boggs,  was  the 
influence  of  Dr.  Sol  Smith,  Surgeon  to  Kirby  Smith. 
"The  animus  of  change  was  that  Doctor  Smith  dis- 

'Dorsey,  Recollections  of  Henry  W.  Allen,  passim. 


Introduction  xxi 

liked  General  Taylor  as  much  as  he  liked  General 
Smith;  Taylor  was  to  harass  Banks  up  to  the  last 
moment,  and  then  General  Smith  was  to  move  down 
with  additional  troops,  take  command,  and  carry  off 
the  glory  of  the  pitched  battle."8  Kirby  Smith's  or- 
ders reached  Taylor  too  late  to  prevent  him  from  turn- 
ing and  defeating  Banks  first  at  Mansfield,  then  at 
Pleasant  Hill.  These  victories  presented  another  prob- 
lem; should  Banks  be  pursued  and  New  Orleans  pos- 
sibly be  attacked,  or  should  attention  be  given  to 
Steele?  Taylor  of  course  advised  the  former  course, 
but  Kirby  Smith  chose  the  latter.  However,  Steele, 
when  he  heard  of  the  defeat  of  Banks,  gave  up  his  in- 
vasion and  fell  back  to  Little  Rock. 

An  estrangement  developed  between  the  command- 
ing general  and  his  chief-of-staff  soon  after  the  Banks- 
Taylor  campaign.  Dr.  Sol  Smith  supplanted  Boggs  in 
the  councils  of  Kirby  Smith.  Boggs  resigned  and  was 
for  a  short  time  commander  of  the  District  of  Louis- 
iana. He  was  soon  superseded  by  General  Harry 
Hays.  He  then  returned  to  Shreveport.  Early  in 
1865  he  enlisted  in  an  expedition  to  enter  military  ser- 
vice in  Mexico.  Finding  that  the  purpose  of  its  lead- 
ers was  to  fight  for  Maximilian,  rather  than  Juarez, 
he  withdrew  his  name.  With  the  collapse  of  the  Con- 
federate armies  in  the  East,  Kirby  Smith  moved  his 
headquarters  to  Houston,  Texas.  The  surrender  of 
his  army  was  made  by  his  subordinates,  in  which  Gen- 
eral Boggs  participated,  the  parole  of  Boggs  being 
dated  June  9,  1865. 

8See  page   76. 


xxii  Introduction 

Such  was  the  course  of  General  Boggs'  service  in 
the  war  and  such  were  the  impressions  made  upon  him 
by  the  military  policy  of  the  Confederacy.  His  unre- 
served frankness,  together  with  his  military  training, 
give  his  words  great  weight.  No  one  can  read  them 
without  being  impressed  with  the  inefficiency  of  the 
Confederate  preparations  for  the  war,  the  inexcusable 
failure  of  the  Kentucky  campaign  of  1862,  and  the 
friction  among  the  Confederate  generals.  If  it  had 
not  been  for  the  genius  of  Lee's  defense  of  Virginia, 
how  much  earlier  might  the  conflict  have  ended ! 

After  the  close  of  hostilities  General  Boggs  engaged 
in  the  profession  of  engineering,  participating  to  a 
great  extent  in  railroad  construction  in  the  west.  In 
1875  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  Mechanics  in  the 
Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute  at  Blacksburg,  a  posi- 
tion he  held  until  a  reorganization  of  the  Faculty  in 
1881.  Writes  one  of  his  colleagues:  "He  was  highly 
valued  by  his  associates  as  a  man  of  force  and  culture ; 
was  esteemed  by  the  student  body  as  an  attractive  and 
honest  teacher;  by  the  people  of  the  community  as  an 
upright,  genial,  agreeable  gentleman.  Politics  was 
alone  responsible  for  his  removal."  The  later  years 
of  his  life  were  spent  in  Winston-Salem,  N.  C,  where 
he  died  September  11,  1911,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 

As  previously  stated,  General  Boggs  married  in 
1854  Mary  Sophia,  daughter  of  Col.  John  Symington 
and  Elizabeth  McCaw  Johnston  Symington.  To  them 
were  born  five  children:  William  R.,  Jr.,  a  mining 
engineer,  who  was  murdered  in  Mexico  in  1907 ;  Eliza- 
beth  McCaw,   John   Symington,   Edith   Allston    (de- 


Introduction  xxiii 

ceased),  and  Henry  Patterson.  To  the  second  of 
these,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Boggs  Taylor,  of  Winston-Sa- 
lem, the  Historical  Society  of  Trinity  College  is  in- 
debted for  the  permission  to  publish  these  Reminis- 
cences. This  introduction  may  well  close  with  the 
lines  to  General  Boggs,  written  by  his  grandson,  Henry 
Porterfield  Taylor: 

Fight  on,  O  Soul,  keep  in  the  fight 
And  ever  strive  thee  for  the  right; 
Fight  on  through  all  the  gloomy  night. 

Fight  on,  fight  on 

Till  break  of  dawn, 
When  Death,  thy  friend,  will  set  thee  free, 
And  take  thee  o'er  the  stormy  sea 

To  that  fair  land 

Eternity ; 
Where  strife's  no  more, 
But  with  sword  drawn 

Light  points  the  way 

To  glorious  day; 
Fight  on,  O  Soul,  fight  on. 

Wm.  K.  Boyd. 

Trinity  College,  Durham,  N.  C, 
June  12,  1913 


Military  Reminiscences  of  General 
William  R.  Boggs,  C.  S.  A. 


CHAPTER  I 


Purchase;  oe  Arms:  Defenses  at  Charleston — The 
Confederate  Ordnance  Bureau — Operations 
at  Pensacoea — Criticism  oe  Confederate  Mil- 
itary Appointments. 

In  1860  I  was  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army, 
detailed  on  special  duty  at  the  Fort  Pitt  Foundry  at 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  superintend  the  manufact- 
ure of  the  new  pattern  eight  and  ten-inch  Rodman 
Guns,  under  the  new  Rodman  process.  I  was  delight- 
fully situated,  proud  of  my  profession  and  not  a  se- 
cessionist. 

The  Presidential  election  of  that  year  was  most  bit- 
terly partisan;  and  with  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  I 
could  not  see  how  an  intestine  war  was  to  be  avoided. 
I  was  afterwards  very  much  surprised  to  find  that  Mr. 
Davis  and  his  Cabinet  had  thought  that  the  Southern 
States  would  be  permitted  to  withdraw  from  the  Un- 
ion peaceably.  I  believed  then  as  I  do  now,  that  men 
who  held  such  opinions  were  unfit  to  direct  our  affairs. 
I  believed  then  as  I  do  now,  that  an  active,  determined, 
and  unhesitating  policy  would  have  brought  about  an 
early  and  honorable  settlement. 

But,  let  me  make  a  fresh  start.  The  Georgia  Legis- 
lature had,  at  its  session  just  previous  to  the  election, 


Military  Reminiscences  oE 


created  the  office  of  Adjutant  General  and  elected  Ma- 
jor Harry  Wayne  to  fill  the  office.  It  had  also  appro- 
priated money  to  purchase  heavy  Ordnance  and  other 
war  material,  and  had  selected  Colonel  W.  J.  Hardee, 
of  the  U.  S.  Army,  and  a  native  Georgian,  to  make  the 
purchases.  By  a  strange  fatality  he  made  his  contract 
for  the  heavy  guns  with  the  Fort  Pitt  Foundry.  The 
proprietor  took  the  contract,  remarking  that  if  Georgia 
should  not  want  the  guns  or  there  should  be  any  diffi- 
culty about  delivery,  the  United  States  would  take 
them.  The  United  States  took  them.  Had  the  con- 
tract been  given  to  almost  any  other  foundry,  especially 
Anderson's  at  Richmond,  Georgia  would  have  got  her 
guns.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  nearly  all  the  heavy 
ordnance  intended  for  the  Southern  seacoast  were  on 
skids  in  Northern  Arsenals. 

In  casting  the  first  fifteen-inch  Rodman  gun,  the 
Fort  Pitt  Foundry  had,  for  the  want  of  room,  taken 
the  risk  of  altering  one  of  their  furnaces  in  a  manner 
contrary  to  all  accepted  rules.  The  alteration  proved 
a  marvelous  success.  So  soon  as  Mr.  Lincoln's  elec- 
tion was  assured,  I  made  a  very  careful  drawing  of 
this  furnace ;  I  also  made  drawings  of  the  latest  bullet 
press  and  other  machines  and  models  that  I  thought 
would  soon  be  needed  down  South.  When  I  went 
I  took  them  with  me;  but  as  the  New  Government 
proposed  to  live  in  peace  and  harmony  with  all  man- 
kind, especially  the  Yanks,  my  labors  were  cast  aside. 

On  the  morning  after  the  election  a  young  man, 
Nicholas  Wade  by  name,  boasted  that  he  had  voted  for 
Mr.  Lincoln  for  the  sole  purpose  of  seeing  what  the 
South  was  going  to  do  about  it.    I  remarked  that  "if 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A. 


he  stood  by  his  vote,  he  and  I  would  soon  be  shooting 
at  each  other."  There  were  two  other  young  men, 
Metcalfs  by  name,  very  whole-souled  and  liberal  in 
their  views,  who  remarked  that  "if  we  were  forced 
into  a  war  by  politicians,  they  would  take  no  part  in 
it."  I  told  them  they  would  have  to;  for  that  in  the 
beginning  their  bar-room  bullies,  roughs,  toughs,  and 
gutter-snipes  would  rush  into  their  army  to  have  a 
good  time,  that  we  had  no  such  characters  or  but  few 
in  the  South,  and  furnishing  soldiers  with  higher  mo- 
tives and  principles,  we  would  whip  them  so  badly  that 
for  the  honor  of  their  section  they  would  have  to  go. 
I  heard  of  the  Metcalfs  and  others,  who  did  not  vote 
for  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  order  to  see  what  the  South  was 
going  to  do  about  it,  being  in  the  Federal  Army;  but 
never  of  Mr.  Wade  or  men  of  his  like,  North  or  South. 

When  a  Convention  of  the  people  of  Georgia  was 
called  to  consider  their  relations  with  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment, I  obtained  a  leave  of  absence  for  thirty  days 
and  went  home  to  Georgia.  On  the  day  that  the  State, 
in  Convention  assembled,  voted  the  State  no  longer  a 
member  of  the  Union,  I  resigned  my  commission  in 
the  United  States  Army. 

At  the  request  of  the  Governor  I  went  to  Milledge- 
ville  for  consultation.  One  of  my  first  suggestions 
was  that  he  send  some  trusty  person  to  Europe  for  the 
express  and  sole  purpose  of  purchasing  an  outfit  for 
the  manufacture  of  small  arms;  that  if  this  was  done 
at  once,  it  could  be  brought  in  before  a  blockade  was 
established.  Mr.  King,  T.  Butler  King  I  think,  was 
written  to  and  accepted.  It  was  arranged  that  I,  with 
a  master  armorer,  should  meet  him  in  Philadelphia, 


Military  Reminiscences  oe 


I  lost  some  time  waiting  but  he  never  came.  On  my 
return  to  Milledgeville  I  suggested  to  the  Governor 
that  Mr.  King  was  probably  waiting  the  formation  of 
the  Confederate  Government  so  that  he  might  act  for 
both.  Such  proved  to  be  the  case  and  we  got  no 
armory.  My  meeting  Mr.  King  in  Philadelphia  was 
in  connection  with  other  duties,  I  having  received  au- 
thority from  the  Governor  to  purchase  war  material 
wherever  I  could  find  it.1  I  will  say,  just  here,  that 
I,  on  behalf  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  purchased  and 
ordered  manufactured  more  war  material  than  all  the 
other  seceding  States  put  together,  or  than  was  pro- 
vided for  by  the  Confederate  Congress.  I  now  busied 
myself  converting  the  State  Penitentiary  into  an  ar- 
senal of  construction.  It  was  while  so  engaged  that 
the  Confederate  Government  was  formed  and  Beaure- 
gard made  a  Brigadier-General  and  sent  to  Charles- 
ton. 

It  had  been  expected  that  on  Beauregard's  arrival 
the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  would  begin. 
But  his  inspections  and  a  few  shots  to  the  seaward 
satisfied  him  that  something  was  wrong.  W.  H.  C. 
Whiting,  recently  of  the  engineer  corps,  and  I,  of  the 
Ordnance,  being  the  nearest  available  officers,  he  asked 
Governor  Brown  to  send  us  to  him  for  a  short  time. 
At  the  General's  request  we  made  a  thorough  exam- 
ination. 

At  Fort  Moultrie,  the  small  but  important  omission 
of  putting  the  swinging  props  under  the  trails  of  the 
gun  carriages  had  caused  the  guns  to  dismount  them- 
selves when  fired  with  shot.     Anderson  no  doubt  re- 

1See   Appendix,   Commentary   II,   p   92. 


Gf,n.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A. 


moved  these  props  before  he  abandoned  the  Fort. 
Their  only  fuses  were  old  style  wooden  mortar  fuses 
and  for  economy  they  had  been  sawed  into  two  or 
more  pieces;  the  shock  of  the  discharge  would  drive 
the  small  ends  into  the  shell  and  explode  the  shell 
either  in  the  gun  or  just  after  leaving  it.  Their  mortar 
beds  were  made  of  wood,  from  patterns  intended  for 
iron  and  brass.  Morris  Island  beach  was  exposed  to 
an  enfilading  fire  from  Fort  Sumter  and  required 
heavy  epaulments  to  protect  its  batteries  from  that 
fire.  We  remained  with  General  Beauregard  until 
Governor  Brown  summoned  us  to  Savannah.2 

1  had  ordered  from  Anderson's  Foundry  at  Rich- 
mond an  unlimited  number  of  heavy  guns,  with  the 
irons  for  their  carriages  and  four  hundred  rounds 
each  of  shot  and  shell  for  each  gun.  They  were  to  be 
shipped,  as  fast  as  made,  in  box  cars,  by  the  way  of 
the  East  Tennessee  R.  R.  In  daily  expectation  that 
these  guns  would  begin  to  arrive,  we  determined  not 
only  to  arm  Fort  Pulaski,  but  also  to  occupy  Tybee 
Island  and  to  place  some  of  the  guns  in  lunettes  on  the 
Island.  The  guns  ordered  by  me  were  diverted  by  the 
Honorable  Secretary  of  War,  and  sent  to  Mobile. 
Therefore  Fort  Pulaski  was  never  armed  or  Tybee 
Island  occupied.3 

While  in  Savannah,  Senator  F.  S.  Bartow,  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  military  affairs  in  the  Con- 
federate Congress,  came  there.  He  asked  me  what  I 
thought  of  his  bill  for  the  organization  of  the  army. 

2  Boggs  was  recalled  to  Savannah  early  in  March,  1861.  See 
Appendix,  Commentary  I,  page  89.      (Ed.) 

3  For  further  light  on  the  shipment  of  guns,  see  Appendix,  Com- 
mentary II.  page  92.  Fort  Pulaski  and  Tybee  Island  are  near 
Savannah. —  (  Ed.  ) 


Military  Reminiscences  oE 


My  reply  was  that  I  would  hardly  call  it  his  bill  since 
Mr.  Davis'  hand  was  to  be  seen  in  every  line  of  it. 
Bartow  blushed.  I  mention  this,  as  I  shall  mention 
some  other  matters,  in  order  to  show  Mr.  Davis'  de- 
termination to  direct  the  smallest  affairs  in  connection 
with  the  army. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  was  summoned  to  Mont- 
gomery, and  with  the  consent  of  Governor  Brown,  I 
went.4  Arrived  at  Montgomery,  I  was  requested  to 
take  temporary  charge  of  the  Ordnance  Bureau,  (the 
head  of  that  department,  as  of  most  others,  being  held 
in  reserve  for  others  who  were  supposed,  intended,  or 
might  be  induced  thereby  to  come  South).  Among  the 
first  things  needful  was  a  competent  clerk.  I  called 
upon  the  only  resident  of  Montgomery  that  I  knew 
and  requested  his  assistance  to  procure  one.  The  very 
next  morning  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  War,  Pope 
Walker,  informed  me  that  I  would  need  a  clerk  and 
that  he  had  sent  for  one  for  me.  There  was  no  hurry 
about  anything  connected  with  the  New  Government 
except  in  providing  places.  In  a  short  time  my  Pope 
Walker  clerk  came;  so  far  as  his  usefulness  was  con- 
cerned he  might  as  well  have  remained  at  home  and 
drawn  his  salary  there.  Mr.  Walker  was  not  the  only 
Cabinet  member  interested  in  providing  clerks;  L.  W. 
O'Bannon  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United 
States  Army  and  came  to  Montgomery ;  he  received  an 
appointment  and  was  sent  to  Pensacola  as  quartermas- 
ter ;  the  night  before  he  went  he  received  an  intimation 
purporting  to  come  from  Mr.  Mallory,  as  to  whom  he 

4 1  have  not  been  able  to  find  when  Boggs  was  called  to  Mont- 
gomery.    (Ed.) 


Gun.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A. 


should  appoint  as  clerk.  He  requested  the  messenger 
to  say  to  Mr.  Mallory,  "that  if  the  egg  was  rotten  be- 
fore it  was  laid,  to  let  him  know,  and  he  would  return 
to  Washington  and  ask  to  be  taken  back  into  the 
Union." 

My  first  care  was  to  examine  the  appropriations  for 
the  ordnance  department.  I  found  them  most  picay- 
une; the  appropriation  for  gunpowder  was  not  suffi- 
cient to  have  fired  the  guns  mounted  at  Pensacola  for 
two  days,  and  the  appropriation  was  for  one  year.  All 
other  material  was  in  the  same  ratio.  I  made  haste  to 
inform  the  Secretary  of  War.  He  told  me  that  the 
appropriations  were  for  a  peace  establishment,  that 
treaty  commissioners  had  been  sent  to  Washington 
and  we  must  do  nothing  that  implied  war.  I  satisfied 
him  that  even  for  a  peace  establishment  the  appropria- 
tions were  too  small.  I  finally  succeeded  in  getting  an 
additional  appropriation.  I  was  then  sent  to  examine 
a  foundry  at  Mobile  to  see  if  it  could  be  converted  into 
a  gun  foundry ;  and  also  to  inspect  the  defences  of  New 
Orleans.  At  Mobile  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  the 
foundry  already  had  orders  from  Mr.  Walker  to  man- 
ufacture an  unlimited  number  of  canister  shot  for 
twenty-four  and  thirty-two  pounder  guns.  What  he 
proposed  to  do  with  them  was  past  finding  out.  At 
New  Orleans  I  suggested  that  some  of  the  heavy  guns 
be  taken  out  of  the  Forts  and  placed  in  one  or,  at  most, 
two  gun  batteries  along  the  banks  of  the  river  above 
the  Forts. 

On  my  return  to  Montgomery,  I  found  several  pro- 
posals from  English  houses  to  furnish  many  much 
needed  supplies.     The  proposals  were  very  liberal  in 


Military  Reminiscences  oe 


every  respect;  they  even  offered  for  10  per  cent,  of  the 
original  cost  to  run  the  blockade  and  deliver  guns  to 
the  C.  S.  A.,  and  no  harm  could  have  arisen  from  ac- 
cepting them.  They  remained  unacted  upon,  either 
upon  the  supposition  that  the  United  States  would 
permit  us  to  depart  in  peace,  or  because  the  proper 
person  to  have  charge  of  such  affairs,  had  not  yet  come 
South.    I  never  knew,  and  it  was  soon  too  late. 

An  agreement  had  been  entered  into  that  we  should 
make  no  effort  to  capture  Fort  Pickens,  nor  the  Fed- 
erals to  reinforce  it,  without  a  previous  notice  of 
twenty-four  hours.  A  severe  storm  accompanied  by 
a  gale  seemed  to  suggest  an  opportunity  to  capture  the 
Fort.  I  proposed  to  General  Cooper,  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral of  the  Army,  that  he  should  call  Mr.  Walker's 
attention  to  the  opportunity.  He  insisted  that  the 
idea  having  originated  with  me  that  I  should  see  Mr. 
Walker.  I  lost  no  time  in  doing  so ;  the  Secretary  left 
me  immediately,  I  presumed  to  see  Mr.  Davis.  I  heard 
nothing  more  of  it  until  sometime  afterwards,  when, 
in  conversation  with  General  Bragg  I  happened  to 
speak  of  it.  He  told  me  that  he  also  had  seen  the 
opportunity  and  had  telegraphed  the  Secretary  for  per- 
mission to  take  advantage  of  it,  but  had  received  no 
reply  until  too  late,  and  then  it  was  to  ask  him,  if  he. 
had  established  "reserved  batteries,"  and  that  he  had 
never  yet  understood  what  the  Honorable  Secretary 
meant. 

Late  one  afternoon  I  was  standing  at  the  counter 
in  a  book  store,  when  I  felt  a  gentle  touch  on  the  shoul- 
der. It  was  the  Secretary  of  War  who  took  me  to  one 
side,  and  informed  me  that  our  commissioners  had 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A. 


been  rejected;  and  that  we  were  going  to  have  war.  He 
further  informed  me,  that  he  wished  me  to  go  to 
Pensacola  as  soon  as  possible.  It  was  arranged  that 
I  should  take  the  next  train;  and  that  I  should  meet 
him  at  his  office  immediately  after  supper  for  instruc- 
tions. I  was  on  hand  at  the  appointed  time :  but  also 
was  Jerry  Clemens,  erstwhile  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Congress,  now  Major  General  and  Commander 
in  Chief  of  the  Military  Forces  of  Alabama.  General 
Clemens  was  an  out  and  out  Union  man,  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  secession  movement,  as  were  the  people 
he  represented,  as  were  in  fact  a  majority  of  the  voters 
of  Alabama.  Clemens  was  still  a  power  in  Alabama, 
and  Mr.  Walker  seemed  to  remember  it:  for  he  sub- 
mitted to  be  bull-dozed  by  him  until  after  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning. 

All  this  time  I  sat  patiently  waiting  the  pleasure  of 
the  Secretary,  or  rather  that  of  Jerry  Clemens.  When 
Clemens  got  through  with  him,  he  was  in  no  condition 
for  further  labor;  he  could  only  tell  me  to  take  the 
first  train  for  Pensacola  and  be  governed  by  circum- 
stances.5 

Arrived  at  Pensacola  I  reported  to  General  Bragg. 
The  General  informed  me  that  they  were  sending  him 
regiment  after  regiment;  but  no  supplies  of  any  kind, 
nor  the  means  of  moving  or  distributing  them  if  he 
had  them.  Fortunately,  at  that  time,  everybody  was 
enthused  and  were  sending  or  bringing  ample  supplies 
of  food.  I  informed  the  General  of  all  the  circum- 
stances of  my  orders,  and  thought  he  need  not  hesitate 

B  Boggs    left    for    Pensacola    on    April    9,    1861.      See    Appendix, 
Commentary  I,  page  90. —  (Ed.) 
3 


10  Military  -Reminiscences  of 

to  take  almost  any  responsibility.6  O'Bannon,  his 
chief  quartermaster,  was  called  into  consultation  and, 
with  the  aid  of  the  telegraph,  it  was  not  many  days 
before  he  had  a  well  equipped  army. 

General  Bragg  expressed  the  wish  that  I  would  re- 
main with  him.  Being  most  heartily  tired  of  the  in- 
action at  the  seat  of  government,  as  well  as  of  pre- 
paring a  place  for  someone  else,  I  was  glad  of  the 
opportunity.  That  was  the  way  in  which  I  became  at- 
tached to  General  Bragg's  staff.7 

For  a  while  the  work  was  continuous  and  heavy. 
Captains  Stevens  and  S.  H.  Locket  of  the  Engineer 
Corps  were  engaged  in  putting  heavy  guns  in  lunettes 
along  the  beach;  and  in  the  end,  all  the  heavy  bar- 
bette guns  were  taken  out  of  the  Forts  and  placed 
along  the  beach.  When  the  rush  was  over,  I  went  to 
Georgia  and  brought  my  wife  and  children. 

In  anticipation  of  an  opportunity,  I  had  prepared 
two  portable  platforms  for  eight  inch  guns;  which 
with  the  guns  and  carriages  were  so  placed  as  to  be 
easily  shipped  for  transportation  to  Santa  Rosa  Is- 
land. Special  details  were  made,  who  were  taught  to 
handle  these  guns.  Should  we  attempt  to  carry  Fort 
Pickens  by  assault,  it  was  intended  that  these  guns 
were  to  be  mounted  in  the  sand  hills  near  the  outer 
beach  to  engage  the  fleet.  All  the  details  had  been 
arranged;  Col.  John  H.  Forney  was  to  command  and 
was  to  assault  from  the  glacis,  Stevens  to  attack  the 
sallyport,  and  I  through  the  embrasures.    During  this 

6Boggs  was  authorized  to  spend  $40,000  at  Pensacola  as  he  saw 
fit.     Appendix,  Commentary  I,  page  90. —  (Ed.) 

TBoggs  became  Chief  of  Engineers  on  the  staff  of  Bragg.  Official 
Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  752. —  (Ed.) 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  11 

time,  some  transports  made  their  appearance  off  the 
Island  and  it  was  evident  that  the  Federals  intended 
to  reinforce  Fort  Pickens  upon  the  first  favorable 
opportunity.  One  night  General  Bragg  sent  Stevens 
and  myself  to  Santa  Rosa  Island  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining,  as  near  as  possible,  the  exact  condition 
of  affairs.  We  went  up  to  the  glacis,  captured,  and 
conversed  with  a  sentinel.  While  Stevens  and  I  were 
upon  the  Island,  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Navy 
arrived  at  General  Bragg's  headquarters,  with  orders 
from  Mr.  Davis  to  permit  him  to  communicate,  at 
once,  with  the  fleet.8  What  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment proposed  to  gain  by  such  courtesy  I  have  never 
been  able  to  ascertain :  but  I  do  know,  that  a  battallion 
of  regular  artillery  was  that  night  thrown-  into  the 
Fort  and  the  sixth  New  York  volunteers  landed  upon 
the  beach.  Fort  Pickens  was  now,  by  the  grace  of  the 
Confederate  Government,  fully  garrisoned. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Lincoln's  inauguration,  Fort  Sumter 
was  bombarded  and  captured.  Mr.  Lincoln  then  called 
upon  the  different  States  for  their  quota  of  troops  to 
put  down  the  rebellion.  This  caused  the  remaining 
slaveholding  States  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  and 
join  their  fortunes  with  the  seceding  States.  The  seat 
of  government  was  now  removed  to  Richmond. 

About  this  time  I  received  a  letter  from  Thomas  R. 
Cobb,  of  Georgia,  informing  me  that  he  had  received 
authority  to  organize  a  legion,  to  be  composed  of  In- 
fantry, Cavalry  and  Artillery,  and  to  be  known  as 
"Cobb's  Legion,"  that  I  had  been  recommended  to 

8  This  was  Lieutenant  Worden  who  came  direct  from  Washington. 
See  Appendix,  Commentary  I,  pp.  90-91. 


12  Military  Reminiscences  0e 

him  to  organize  it,  and  that  he  would  have  me  ap- 
pointed his  Lieutenant  Colonel,  if  I  would  accept.  I 
declined.  I  had  the  confidence  of  General  Bragg,  was 
engaged  upon  duties  for  which  but  few  persons  in  our 
service  were  qualified,  and  had  no  doubt  but  that  I 
would  be  promoted  to  a  rank  commensurate  with  the 
duties  I  was  performing.  Again,  here  was  a  lawyer  ap- 
pointed by  the  President  to  the  command  of  three 
branches  of  service,  all  at  once,  under  the  high  sound- 
ing name  of  "Legion"  and  who  seemed  perfectly  con- 
fident, that  at  his  say-so  the  President  would  appoint 
me  his  Lieutenant  Colonel.  From  what  will  appear 
hereafter,  it  would  have  been  a  most  peculiar  act  on 
the  part  of  the  President.  When  the  Government 
moved  to  Richmond,  Robert  Toombs,  Secretary  of 
State,  suggested  that  as  the  cabinet  had  been  formed 
from  the  first  five  seceding  states,  it  would  be  a  proper 
thing  for  the  cabinet  to  resign  and  permit  Mr.  Davis  to 
form  his  cabinet  from  all  the  States.  He  resigned; 
but  the  rest  were  too  well  satisfied  with  themselves 
and  their  places.  By  and  by,  when  pressure  began 
to  bear  and  changes  were  inevitable,  the  Secretary  of 
War  began  to  organize  a  brigade  for  himself  to  com- 
mand when  he  ceased  to  be  Secretary. 

In  the  progress  of  this  organization,  Joseph  Wheeler, 
("Point  Wheeler"  of  West  Point),  Lieutenant  in  the 
C.  S.  Army,  detailed  as  Adjutant  General  to  an  Ala- 
bama Brigade,  told  me  of  the  proposed  organization 
and  that  the  officers  of  his  Brigade  would  help  him  to 
get  promotion  in  it,  if  he  would  apply.  He  said  he  felt 
a  delicacy  in  doing  so,  because  there  were  so  many  of 
his  comrades,  right  there,  who  had  seen  so  much  more 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  13 

service  than  he  had.  I  advised  him  not  to  hesitate 
on  that  account,  for  none  of  us  would  be  jealous  of 
his  promotion.  Pope  Walker  was  from  north  Ala- 
bama, so  was  Wheeler  and  the  officers  of  the  Brigade 
to  which  he  was  attached.  When  he  finally  decided 
to  apply  for  a  Majority,  I  asked  him  if  he  did  not 
consider  himself  more  competent  to  command  a  regi- 
ment than  any  of  the  Colonels  under  whom  he  was 
serving.  The  talk  ended  in  my  writing,  for  him,  the 
following  application,  to  wit: 

To  the  Hon' I  Pope  Walker, 
Secretary  of  War, 

Richmond,  Va. 
Sir:— 

I  have  the  honor  to  apply  for  promotion  in  the  Provisional 
Army  of  the  Confederate  States. 

I   remain  sir  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

By  my  advice  he  made  a  copy  of  this  letter,  which, 
having  shown  to  the  officers  of  his  Brigade,  he  then 
forwarded  through  regular  channels.  I  told  General 
Bragg  all  of  the  circumstances.  He  endorsed  the  ap- 
plication with  his  approval  and  at  the  same  time  called 
attention  to  his  repeated  recommendations  of  O'Ban- 
non,  Slaughter,  Villepigue  and  myself,  all  of  whom 
ranked  Wheeler  and  were  equally  worthy  of  promo- 
tion. The  return  mail  brought  Wheeler  his  Colonel's 
commission  and  orders  to  proceed  to  north  Alabama. 

I  have  gone  into  these  details  for  two  reasons :  one, 
to  show  that  the  Cabinet  was  as  much  governed  by 
their  personal  interest  at  Richmond  as  at  Montgomery ; 
the  other,  because  this  application,  written  by  me,  has 


14  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

been  quoted  as  a  specimen  of  military  brevity,  sur- 
passed only  by  Caesar  and  as  the  foreshadowing  of 
the  distinguished  officer  that  Wheeler  afterwards  be- 
came. He  is  now  a  member  of  the  United  States 
Congress,  and  for  him  I  have  always  had  a  high  re- 
gard. 

After  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  July  21st,  1861,  there 
was  a  rush  to  Richmond.  Some  of  General  Bragg's 
officers,  on  short  leaves,  took  advantage  of  their  leaves 
to  go  to  Richmond  and  were  promoted.  Two  went 
without  leave  and  were  promoted.  These  things, 
Beauregard's  two  battles,  but  more  specially,  the  ap- 
pointment of  Mansfield  Lovell,  a  late  comer,  to  the 
command  at  New  Orleans,  with  the  rank  of  Major 
General,  (a  command  that  General  Bragg  wanted  and 
to  which  he  felt  himself  entitled)  rankled  General 
Bragg  very  much  and  made  him  feel  it  was  necessary 
to  do  something  to  bring  himself  into  notice.9  Having 
determined  to  burn  "Billy"  Wilson's  Camp  and  the 
supply  buildings  that  had  been  built  outside  of  Fort 
Pickens,  he  sent  Lieut.  J.  E.  Slaughter  and  myself  to 
Santa  Rosa  Island  on  the  night  before  the  proposed 
attack,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  if  it  was  pos- 
sible to  surprise  them.  Our  mission  was  successfully 
accomplished.  The  following  night  General  Richard 
H.  Anderson  with  a  command  of  details  from  all  the 
different  regiments,  made  a  descent  upon  the  Island 
and  succeeded  in  burning  the  camp.  Captain  L.  A. 
Nelms  and  a  few  men  were  killed  and  General  Ander- 

9  For  Boggs'  criticism  of  the  appointment  of  Wheeler  and  the 
neglect  to  promote  other  officers,  see  Official  Records,  War  of  the 
Rebellion.  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  pp.  744,  758;  also  Appendix,  Commen- 
tary IV,  page  99. —  (Ed.) 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A,  15 

son  and  some  others  wounded.    He  brought  off  Major 
Vogdes  and  some  other  prisoners.10 

General  Bragg's  command  was  now  extended  to  in- 
clude the  State  of  Alabama.  He  sent  me  to  inspect 
the  defences  at  Mobile.  When  I  had  completed  my 
inspection  I  determined  to  return  on  horseback  by  the 
way  of  Perdido  Bay.  I  took  with  me  an  escort  of 
two  cavalrymen.  The  steamboat  landed  us  low  down 
on  Mobile  Bay,  at  a  turpentine  distillery.  After  pass- 
ing the  turpentine  plantations,  the  roads  disappeared. 
We  came  upon  a  young  man  leaning  upon  a  gate  of  a 
pretty  residence :  although  living  in  the  house  in  which 
he  had  been  born,  he  professed  to  know  nothing  about 
the  roads  or  to  have  ever  heard  of  Perdido  Bay.  We 
could  only  keep  as  near  east  as  the  Savannah  would 
permit  and  trust  to  luck.  In  the  midst  of  the  forest 
we  found  a  single  room  cabin,  in  which  there  lived  a 
wood  chopper  and  his  family.  Upon  enquiring  our 
way  he  kindly  volunteered  to  take  us  across  what  he 
called  the  laurel  swamp  and  the  old  mill  dam :  which 
he  said  would  be  impossible  without  a  guide.  He  got 
us  across  and  pointed  out  our  direction.  The  man 
was  a  native  of  Georgia,  his  occupation  to  chop  wood, 
which  he  floated  down  the  stream,  on  which  the  old 
mill  had  stood,  to  the  gulf,  where  it  was  loaded  on 
floats  for  the  Mobile  market.  He  declined  taking  any 
pay  for  his  services ;  but  happening  to  have  some  gold 

10  Bragg,  reporting  on  the  affairs  at  Santa  Rosa,  said  :  "To  Cap- 
tain W.  R.  Boggs,  Engineer  C.  S.  Army,  and  First  Lieutenant  J. 
B.  Slaughter,  C.  S.  Artillery,  acting  inspecting-general,  I  am  in- 
debted for  the  perfect  knowledge  of  the  enemy's  pickets  and  po- 
sitions, obtained  by  close  reconnaisences,  on  which  the  expedition 
was  based,  and  for  the  secret  and  complete  organization  which 
insured  its  success."  See  Official  Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  459. —  (Ed.) 


16  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

dollars  in  my  pocket  I  gave  him  three  of  them  for  keep- 
sakes. When  it  was  nearly  sundown  we  found  a  path 
running  north  and  south  crossing  our  route:  we  de- 
cided to  go  north  and  after  swimming  one  stream  ar- 
rived at  the  ferryman's  house.  We  were  not  sorry 
to  find  that  he  had  not  come  home;  for  having  fasted 
since  breakfast  we  were  glad  to  wait  and  have  supper. 
Our  ferryman  proved  to  be  a  Spaniard  of  many  occu- 
pations, a  dark,  wiry,  leather-skinned  old  chap.  It 
was  now  dark,  but  he  said  he  could  take  us  over  all 
the  same.  When  I  saw  the  boat  in  which  he  proposed 
to  accomplish  it  I  was  not  so  confident.  It  was  a 
scow,  with  a  pointed  bow  not  over  twenty-five  feet 
long  and  about  four  feet  wide,  at  its  widest  part.  In 
this  boat  he  proposed  to,  and  did,  take  three  men  and 
their  horses,  two  negro  oarsmen  and  himself  across 
a  bay  three  miles  wide,  and  not  only  that,  but  so  soon 
as  we  were  clear  of  the  shore,  he  hoisted  sail.  I  pre- 
pared and  handed  to  General  Bragg  a  written  report; 
it  determined  him  to  go  at  once  to  Mobile.  On  his 
return  he  sent  for  me  and  read  me  his  report  to  the 
Secretary  of  War.  It,  was  singularly  like  the  one  I  had 
made  to  him,  but  to  which  it  made  no  reference:  he 
did,  however  at  the  close  of  it,  ask  the  President  to 
make  me  a  Brigadier,  and  he  would  place  me  in  com- 
mand of  the  defences  of  Mobile.  Some  little  time 
afterwards,  he  informed  me  that  Captain  Page,  recent- 
ly of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  had  been  apppointed  to  the 
command.11 

11  Reference  is  here  doubtless  to  a  letter  of  Bragg,  suggesting 
Slaughter,  Boggs,  Vellepigue,  and  O'Bannon  as  qualified  to  com- 
mand forts  at  Mobile  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier.  See  Official 
Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  757. —  (Ed.) 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  17 

About  this  time  Billy  Wilson's  Zouaves  had  been  re- 
embarked  and  disappeared.  One  day,  November  22nd, 
I  was  crossing  to  the  camp  at  Live  Oak  Point,  when 
Major  Brown  opened,  unexpectedly,  with  all  his  guns. 
He  had  selected  the  moment  when  our  transports  had 
arrived  from  Pensacola  and  tied  up  at  the  Navy  Yard 
Wharf.  The  pilot  of  the  tug  Nelms  stuck  to  his  boat, 
backed  her  out,  and  started  up  the  bay.  He  got  her 
safely  off,  notwithstanding  every  gun  that  could  be, 
was  brought  to  bear  upon  her.  From  my  position  I 
had  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  race  between  the  tug 
and  the  shot  and  shell :  one  of  my  darky  oarsmen  ex- 
claimed, "ain't  that  barbarous?"  The  other  crew 
abandoned  their  boat  and  sought  safety  in  the  woods. 
While  returning  across  the  bay,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
so  furious  a  cannonade  must  be  for  the  purpose  of 
covering  a  landing  at  Perdido.12  I  joined  General 
Bragg  and  was  sent  to  superintend  the  firing  at  the 
fleet  from  a  battery  on  our  extreme  right.  Finding 
that  the  fleet  was  out  of  effective  range,  I  caused  the 
battery  to  cease  firing.  When  the  fleet  moved  up 
closer  we  opened  again;  after  the  second  shot  the 
fleet  again  retired,  with  the  Hartford  disabled.  The 
cannonading  lasted  for  two  days,  the  only  result  being 
a  great  waste  of  ammunition  and  that  thereafter  our 
supplies  could  not  be  landed  at  the  dock. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  transports,  the  teams  and 

12  When  I  reached  my  little  cabin  I  found  my  son  William  watch- 
ing "the  bombs  burst  in  air,"  my  wife  making  a  camp  kettle  of 
coffee  and  the  cook,  Jane,  picking  a  turkey.  My  wife  had  wisely 
concluded  that  in  the  midst  of  so  much  excitement,  the  preparation 
of  necessary  food  would,  probably,  be  overlooked.  When  she  di- 
rected Jane  to  kindle  a  fire,  put  on  water  and  kill  the  turkey ; 
poor  Jane  exclaimed,  "de-laws  Miss  Mary,  you  ain't  thinking  bout 
eatin'  now,  is  you?"     I  sent  them  by  the  first  train  to  Montgomery. 


18  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

teamsters  and  the  working  details,  and  a  good  many 
idlers  also,  were  generally  on  the  dock.  Major  Brown 
dropped  his  first  shells  into  the  midst  of  this  crowd, 
causing  panic  and  confusion.  The  appearance  of 
General  Richard  Anderson  walking  cooly  about  and 
that  of  an  old  soldier,  who  looking  up  and  saying, 
"there  seemed  to  be  a  considerable  of  a  shower,"  raised 
his  umbrella,  stopped  the  panic  and  confusion.  An 
Alabama  soldier,  to  whom  I  had  done  a  kindness, 
narrated  the  above  in  connection  with  his  own  experi- 
ence. It  seems  he  was  an  idler,  and,  following  his 
first  impulse,  he  took  refuge  in  the  stone  dock.  He 
and  some  others  found  it  a  jolly  place  until  the  rising 
tide  drove  them  out.  Making  way  through  the  heavy 
sand  he  heard  himself  called  and  looking  round  saw 
Pell,  the  master  ship-carpenter,  sitting  behind  one  of 
the  big  cisterns ;  as  there  was  plenty  of  room,  he  went 
there  also.  It  was  all  very  well  for  awhile;  but  a 
heavy  shell  coming  over  the  cistern  and  exploding 
sufficiently  near  to  cover  them  with  sand  they  con- 
cluded to  seek  other  quarters. 

With  the  first  gun  all  the  negro  employees  dis- 
appeared and  were  not  seen  again  until  the  firing 
had  ceased.  We  then  learned  that  for  some  time  they 
had  been  digging  bomb-proof  shelters,  called  gopher 
holes,  and  provisioning  them  for  just  such  occasions. 
Gaps  had  been  cut  in  the  wall  surrounding  the  Navy 
Yard;  through  these  women,  children  and  others  not 
on  duty  found  their  way  out  of  range.  An  orderly 
brought  Mrs.  Anderson  a  horse  without  saddle  and 
only  an  old  rope  for  a  bridle;  so  mounted,  with  one 


Gun.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  19 

of  her  children  behind  her,  she  was  making  her  way 
out  of  range  when  she  passed  Justice  Moulton:  all 
at  once  her  womanly  instincts  returned,  and  stopping 
her  horse  she  asked  Mr.  Moulton  to  please  assist  her 
to  adjust  her  seat  and  skirts.  Just  then  a  large  shell 
came  tearing  through  the  woods ;  the  old  man  inform- 
ed her  that  she  was  doing  very  well  indeed  and  rushed 
on.  Justice  Moulton  was  the  owner  of  our  principal 
transport,  "The  Steamboat  Times;"  that  morning 
found  him  confined  to  his  berth  on  the  boat,  with  a 
severe  attack  of  inflammatory  rheumatism.  He  was 
heard  afterwards  to  remark  that  he  had  found  a  rapid 
cure  for  rheumatism.  Young  Francis  Parker,  Jr., 
aide-de-camp  to  General  Bragg,  and  one  of  the  most 
gallant  officers  of  the  whole  war,  hearing  General 
Bragg  ask  if  anyone  knew  whether  the  enemy  were 
firing  hot  shot,  replied:  "Yes,  for  one  of  them  falling 
near  him,  he  had  gotten  off  his  horse  and  spat  upon 
it,  and  it  fizzed." 

A  soldier  was  placed  in  the  covered  way  of  Batch- 
elers  battery,  First  Louisiana,  to  watch  the  fight  of 
the  shot  and  caution  the  men  at  the  guns,  when  to  take 
cover:  he  would  call  out  "that  is  to  the  right,"  or, 
"left,"  or,  "look  out  boys;"  when  a  shot  from  a  rifle 
gun  cut  the  sand  bag  on  which  he  was  leaning,  he 
never  moved,  but  in  his  usual  tone  remarked  "Pretty 

d d   close."      Notwithstanding   all   restriction   and 

care  these  same  Louisiannians  were  frequently  the 
worse  for  liquor  and  it  was  some  time  before  the  cause 
was  ascertained.  Mrs.  Bragg  had  sent  to  this  regiment, 
from  her  plantation,  a  hogshead  each  of  sugar  and 


20  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

molasses;  these,  the  soldiers  were  distilling  into  rum.13 
Up  to  the  time  of  General  Bragg's  visit  to  Mobile 
I  had  enjoyed  his  full  confidence:  since  then  there 
appeared  to  be  a  change.  For  some  time  I  had  very- 
little  active  employment,  in  fact  all  of  our  duties  were 
simple  routine;  a  number  of  troops  had  been  ordered 
from  us  to  Virginia :  others  upon  condition  of  reor- 
ganizing for  the  war,  had  been  permitted  to  go  home 
on  furlough.  I  could  not  understand  my  treatment 
in  Richmond  or  General  Bragg's  cool  official  manner. 
I  determined  to  have  a  talk  with  the  General  and  let 
the  result  of  that  interview  decide  my  course  of  ac- 
tion. After  the  interview  I  sent  in  my  resignation; 
it  was  promptly  forwarded  and  promptly  accepted.14 
After  forwarding  my  resignation  General  Bragg 
had  gone  to  Mobile  and  had  not  returned.  When  I 
was  ready  to  leave  Pensacola  I  called  on  General  An- 
derson (Bragg  was  still  absent)  to  make  my  adieus 
and  also  wish  him  and  his  family  the  compliments  of 
the  season, — it  was  new  year's  day,  1862.  While 
chatting  with  them,  there  was  a  roar  of  artillery,  fol- 
lowed by  the  shrieks  of  shot  and  shell.  All  the  offi- 
cers present  mounted  and  rode  to  the  Navy  Yard. 
After  remaining  with  the  General  a  little  while  I  rode 
back  to  my  quarters.  Finding  an  extra  horse,  I  took 
my  wife  to  a  point  between  Fort  McRee  and  the  light- 
house :  from  there  we  witnessed  the  firing  until  dark- 

13  llie  date  of  the  engagement  here  described  was  Nov.  22,  1861. 
For  supplementary  details  see  Appendix,  Commentary  III,  page  98. 
—  (Ed.) 

14  Later,  in  1862,  Boggs  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the 
Louisiana  State  Seminary,  a  military  school  at  Baton  Rouge  on 
the  recommendation  of  Bragg.  The  Superintendent  at  the  opening 
of  the  war  was  W.  T.  Sherman.  Boggs  was  granted  a  leave  of 
absence  and  never  assumed  charge  of  the  school. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  21 

ness  put  a  stop  to  it.  On  our  way  back  I  noticed  some 
soldiers  kindling  a  fire  to  cook  their  suppers,  directly 
in  the  rear  of  their  battery.  I  rode  to  them  and  sug- 
gested that  they  had  better  make  their  fire  to  one  side, 
as  it  certainly  would  be  fired  at.  I  had  scarcely  ceased 
speaking  when  a  shell  came  roaring  by,  followed  by 
the  sound  of  the  gun  from  which  it  was  fired.  The 
fire  disappeared  in  a  hurry,  and  so  did  my  wife  and  I. 


CHAPTER  II 

Military  Service;  of  Georgia — Defenses  oe  Savan- 
nah— Problems  oe  the  Appalachicola  River 
and  the  Interior  oe  Georgia — Charleston. 

I  was  now,  against  my  will,  free  to  do  as  I  pleased. 
While  in  the  United  States  Army  I  had  been  frequent- 
ly detailed  to  different  foundries  either  to  inspect  or 
superintendent  the  manufacture  of  heavy  ordnance. 
At  New  Orleans  there  was  a  large  foundry;  I  also 
considered  New  Orleans  as  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant places  in  the  Confederacy;  therefore  I  went  to 
New  Orleans.  Shortly  after  my  arrival  the  command- 
ing officer,  General  Mansfield  Lovell,  sent  for  me. 
He  expressed  a  desire  to  have  me  on  his  staff.  I  in- 
formed him  fully  of  my  position  and  my  belief  that 
Mr.  Davis  would  not  consent.  He  insisted  on  trying, 
saying  Mr.  Davis  had  refused  him  nothing  as  yet  and 
if  I  would  consent  to  serve  on  his  staff  with  the  rank 
of  Colonel  he  would  take  the  risk  of  refusal.  He  was 
refused.  In  the  interval  I  had  received  a  dispatch 
from  Governor  Brown,  saying  that  the  State  needed 
my  services  and  requesting  me  to  come  to  Milledge- 
ville.  On  my  return  to  Georgia,  my  mother  gently, 
but  decidedly,  made  me  understand  that  she  did  not 
approve  of  my  leaving  the  Confederate  service, 
and  I  have  now  to  admit  that  she  was  right. 

While  journeying  home,  I  travelled  with  some  of  the 
twelve  month  volunteers  returning  home.  I  was  sur- 
prised to  learn  from  them  that  General  Bragg  had 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  23 

placed  General  Anderson  under  arrest,  and  preferred 
charges  against  him,  on  account  of  the  cannonade  of 
January  the  first.  This  cannonade  was  begun  by  Fort 
Pickens,  and  because  a  young  officer  of  the  First  Louis- 
iana, detailed  on  special  duty  by  General  Bragg,  had 
ordered  one  of  the  steam  transports  to  tie  up  at  the 
Navy  Yard  dock.  When  he  was  called  upon  for  an 
explanation,  he  stated  that  he  had  authority  from 
General  Bragg  to  do  so.  So  soon  as  I  reached  a  stop- 
ping place  I  wrote  to  General  Bragg  expressing  my 
surprise,  and  stating  the  facts  as  I  knew  them;  I  also 
wrote  to  General  Anderson  telling  him  I  had  done  so, 
and  if  he  should  need  me  as  a  witness  for  his  defense, 
at  any  time  or  place,  to  let  me  know  and  I  would 
come.1 

I  reported  to  Governor  Brown  at  Milledgeville,  and 
was  appointed  by  him  Colonel  and  Chief  Engineer  of 
the  State  Forces.  There  were  already  on  his  staff  Har- 
ry Wayne,  Adjutant  General,  and  Lachlan  Mcintosh, 
Chief  of  Ordnance.  The  State  had  in  the  field  a  di- 
vision under  the  command  of  Major  General  Henry 
R.  Jackson,  consisting  of  three  brigades,  commanded 
by  Brigadier  Generals  W.  H.  T.  Walker,  G.  P.  Har- 
rison, and  J.  W.  Capers. 

Late  in  the  month  of  March,  1862,  the  Governor 
received  a  dispatch  from  Savannah,  stating  that  the 
Federal  gun  boats  had  appeared  in  one  of  the  estuaries 
(Vernon  River)  and  were  in  sight  of  Causton's  Bluff, 
four  miles  from  Savannah.  Taking  the  night  train,  I 
reached  Savannah  a  little  after  daylight  and  hastened 
to  the  headquarters  of  the  State  troops :  finding  no 

1See  also  Appendix,  Commentary  V,  page  105. —  (Ed.) 


24  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

one  there  I  went  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Confeder- 
ate troops,  to  find  no  one  there.  It  began  to  look  as  if 
no  one  was  very  much  alarmed  after  all.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  staff  began  to  appear,  and  later  the  com- 
manding officers.  I  was  furnished  with  a  horse  and 
we  galloped  out  to  Causton's  Bluff.  Having  examined 
into  the  situation  I  made  up  my  mind  what  to  do  if 
permitted.  I  called  on  General  A.  R.  Lawton,  com- 
manding the  Confederate  forces,  and  in  discussing  the 
situation  suggested  the  propriety  of  occupying  the 
Islands  (especially  Venus'  Point)  on  the  South  Caro- 
lina side,  or  at  least  of  establishing  a  few  batteries. 
He  did  not  think  it  possible  to  stand  on  them,  much 
less  occupy  them,  and  that  a  gun  would  sink  out  of 
sight.  I  suggested  that  those  were  difficulties  to  be 
overcome.  He  seemed  to  rely  upon  some  torpedoes 
that  Capt.  J.  C.  Ives  had  placed  there  to  keep  the 
gun  boats  from  coming  into  Wall's  Cut  and  getting 
between  us  and  Fort  Pulaski.  There  were  some  of  us 
who  had  very  little  confidence  in  Ives'  loyalty ;  and  the 
fact  that  Ives  had  been  at  work  down  the  river,  caused 
us  still  more  anxiety. 

General  R.  E.  Lee  had  arrived  and  assumed  control 
of  operations.2  There  were  no  active  operations  un- 
dertaken "by  him;  whether  for  the  want  of  troops  and 
material  I  do  not  know.3  All  that  was  done,  was  to 
build  batteries  at  Causton's  Bluff  and  on  Elba  Island 
in  the  Savannah  river. 

2General  Lee  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Department 
of  the  Coast  of  S.  C,  Ga.,  and  Fla.,  on  Nov.  5,  1861. —  (Ed.) 

3Similar  criticisms  had  been  offered  by  General  Lawton  in  Sep- 
tember, 1861.  Official  Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Series  I,  Vol. 
6,  pp.  272,  28v. —  (Ed.) 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  25 

At  State  headquarters  it  was  determined  to  employ 
the  State  troops  in  building  a  line  of  defence  around 
the  city.  I  expressed  a  wish  to  examine  the  city  ar- 
chives for  the  oldest  county  map.  Captain  Gladding, 
a  volunteer  aide-de-camp,  said  he  knew  where  it  was 
and  would  get  it.  I  could  not  have  had  one  better 
suited  to  my  purpose.  Governor  Brown,  General 
Wayne,  and  Major  Mcintosh  came  down  from  Mil- 
ledgeville.  It  was  desired  to  establish  the  line  of  de- 
fence as  quickly  as  possible :  with  the  map  for  a  guide, 
and  a  pocket  full  of  fencing  nails  and  a  hatchet  in  my 
belt,  I  verified  the  map.  Having  found  what  I  thought 
was  a  first  rate  line,  and  General  Lee  having  examined 
and  approved,  it  was  begun  at  once.  About  this  time 
we  heard  that  the  Federals  were  in  the  habit  of  land- 
ing on  Tybee  Island  every  night  and  leaving  again 
before  day.  Tybee  Island  being  in  the  State,  it  was 
decided,  at  State  headquarters,  that  I  should  go  down 
and  if  possible  ascertain  what  they  were  doing  on  the 
Island.  Gladding  volunteered  to  furnish  the  boat  and 
crew  and  accompany  me.  The  following  night  was 
fixed  upon  for  the  attempt:  but  for  some  reason,  un- 
known to  us,  General  Henry  R.  Jackson  reported  our 
intentions  to  Confederate  headquarters  and  we  were 
forbidden  to  go.  One  morning  we  found  the  Federal 
gun  boats  in  Wall's  Cut  on  the  Carolina  side,  in  which 
Ives'  torpedoes  were  supposed  to  be.  They,  with  the 
boats  already  in  St.  Augustine  Creek,  on  our  side  cut 
off  all  communication  by  water  with  Fort  Pulaski. 
Commodore  Josiah  Tatnall  took  down  one  load  of 
supplies,  receiving  their  fire  going  and  coming.  Gen- 
eral W.  H.  T.  Walker  was  very  indignant:  he  pro- 


26  Military  Reminiscences  of 

posed  a  plan  for  the  capture  of  the  gun  boats,  offered 
to  take  all  the  responsibility,  and  make  the  necessary 
preparations  and  attack  with  his  own  Brigade.  Had 
his  plan  been  promptly  accepted,  it  would,  in  my  opin- 
ion, have  been  successful.  But  it  was  taken  into  con- 
sideration. Before  the  consideration  was  concluded, 
those  Islands,  on  which  a  man  could  not  stand,  were 
covered  with  tents  and  troops ;  and  those  estuaries, 
which  had  been  filled  with  Ives'  torpedoes,  were  full 
of  gun  boats.  On  the  tenth  day  of  April,  we  could 
hear  distinctly  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Pulaski.  At 
the  end  of  twenty-four  hours  the  stillness  assured  us 
that  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Federals. 

Governor  Brown  now  insisted  upon  pushing  the  line 
of  defence  and  obstructing  the  river.  While  so  en- 
gaged we  received  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Seven 
Pines,  of  Johnston's  being  wounded,  and  also  of  pas- 
sage of  the  infamous  conscript  law.  Gen.  Lee  being  or- 
dered to  the  command  of  the  army  of  Virginia,  called 
to  make  his  adieus  to  General  Jackson.  During  this  call 
he  suggested  that  I  should  reorganize  one  of  the  State 
regiments,  which  under  the  conscript  law  would  soon 
be  claimed  by  the  Confederacy,  stating  that  in  so  doing 
I  would  not  be  in  the  way  of  anyone  wishing  to  be 
Colonel,  as  he  had  no  doubt  I  would  soon  be  given  a 
Brigade.  I  told  the  General  that  "it  was  not  my  desire 
to  remain  out  of  the  Confederate  service:  but,  for 
some  cause  unknown  to  me,  Mr.  Davis  would  not  give 
me  a  command." 

In  that  respect  I  was  in  good  company :  General  W. 
H.  T.  Walker  had  been  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
officers  of  the  United  States  Army,  one  of  a  very  few 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  27 

receiving  more  than  two  brevets  in  the  Mexican  war. 
On  the  day  that  his  State  seceded,  he  sent  in  his  resig- 
nation, and  upon  its  acceptance,  offered  his  services  to 
his  State.  Upon  the  formation  of  the  Confederate 
Government,  he  tendered  his  services.  He  was  after 
a  while  appointed  a  Brigadier  General ;  but  being  kept 
inactive,  in  subordinate  positions,  he  resigned  and  ac- 
cepted the  command  of  Brigade  of  State  troops.4  He 
was  now,  by  the  conscript  law,  deprived  of  that  com- 
mand.5 With  ample  means  Jie  might  have  lived  com- 
fortably, in  his  forced  retirement ;  but  being  every  inch 
a  soldier,  he  once  more  entered  the  Confederate  ser- 
vice and  was  killed  at  Atlanta,  while  serving  under 
men  whom  he  could,  and  should  have,  commanded. 
So  much  for  Mr.  Davis'  pique ! 

I  will  mention  but  one  of  many  cases  in  contrast, 
and  that  not  by  way  of  disparagement  of  the  person: 
— for  I  believe  that  Pemberton  did  his  very  best.  Pem- 
berton  came  south  after  the  war  had  begun.  He  was, 
at  once,  appointed  a  Brigadier  and  sent  to  take  com- 
mand at  Charleston.  When  Lee  was  ordered  to  Vir- 
ginia, he  was,  without  having  fought  a  battle,  made  a 
Major  General  and  given  command  of  the  States  of 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina.  In  less  than  one  year, 
before  his  qualifications  had  been  tested,  he  was  made 
a  Lieutenant  General  and  sent  to  command  Vicksburg, 
the  most  important  command  in  the  southwest :  and 
which  he  surrendered  on  July  the  fourth,  1863.  Steven 
D.  Lee  had  been  tested  at  Vicksburg,  where  he  had  re- 


4  The  date  of  his  resignation  was  Oct.  29,  1861. —  (Ed.) 

5  Act  of  April  12,  1862.— (Ed.) 


28  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

pelled  Sherman's  attack.  So  much  for  Mr.  Davis' 
judgment! 

With  the  fall  of  Fort  Pulaski,  there  was  a  general 
move  of  women  and  children  from  Savannah.  Major 
Lachlan  Mcintosh's  mother  and  half  sisters  and  Mrs. 
Gladding,  wife  of  my  most  valuable  assistant,  Captain 
Gladding,  went  to  my  house  in  Milledgeville  until  they 
could  be  provided  for. 

The  Army  of  the  State  of  Georgia  having  been  re- 
duced by  the  conscript  law,  to  the  Governor,  its  com- 
mander-in-chief, Henry  C.  Wayne,  its  adjutant  gen- 
eral, Lachlan  Mcintosh,  its  chief  of  ordnance,  and 
myself,  its  chief  engineer,  we  retired  to  Milledgeville, 
the  seat  of  government,  to  await  events.  Within  a  few 
days  after  our  return  Governor  Brown  received  a  let- 
ter from  General  Pemberton  requesting  that  I  be  sent 
to  him  for  a  special  duty.  It  appeared  that  sundry 
persons,  having  hid  away  a  large  amount  of  cotton, 
over  80,000  bales,  on  the  Appalachicola  river,  were  be- 
coming uneasy  as  to  its  safety.  The  town  of  Appal- 
achicola, the  Bay,  and  the  mouth  of  the  river  were 
already  in  the  hands  of  the  Federals.  The  Honorable 
Judge  Iverson  had  been  sent  to  Richmond,  on  the  fall 
of  Pulaski,  to  ask  help  to  protect  the  cotton;  the  peo- 
ple of  Columbus,  Georgia,  and  Eufala,  Alabama,  prom- 
ising to  furnish  the  labor,  tools  and  supplies  necessary 
to  construct  such  defences  as  might  be  decided  upon. 
The  petition  and  proposals  were  sent  to  General  Pem- 
berton; he  now  directed  me  to  make  a  careful  exami- 
nation and  after  having  decided  what  to  do  to  report 
to   and   call   upon  Judge   Iverson   for  the   necessary 


Gun.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  29 

assistance.     I  invited  Captain  Gladding  to  accompany 
me. 

At  Columbus  we  were  furnished  with  a  comfortable 
boat  and  good  crew.  Our  first  landing  after  leaving 
Eufala  was  at  the  landing  of  the  Chattahoochee  Ar- 
senal. We  were  now  in  a  distinct  civil  and  military- 
department  and  I  proceeded  to  pay  my  respects  to  the 
nearest  commanding  officer,  Col.  (Judge)  Finley,  He 
was  encamped  with  his  regiment  at  the  Arsenal,  nearly 
two  miles  off.  When  I  suggested,  in  our  interview, 
that  it  would  be  advisable  to  station  a  sentinel  at  the 
landing  to  protect  his  supplies,  he  remarked  "why,  it 
is  two  miles  off!"  At  Rickoos  Bluff  I  found  an  effort 
being  made  to  plant  a  battery ;  the  guns  were  on  top  of 
a  bluff  at  least  three  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  with 
a  range  of  only  half  a  mile.  The  most  of  the  cotton 
was  some  twenty  miles  further  down  the  river:  near 
it  was  a  small  battery  of  field  artillery,  behind  an  epaul- 
ment,  supported  by  a  battalion  of  infantry.  Owing  to 
a  deep  creek  coming  up  to  a  very  short  range  in  their 
rear  the  position  was  untenable.  Below  this  point  the 
Federals  were  in  full  possession.  Having  requested 
and  obtained  a  company  of  infantry  for  an  escort  I 
proceeded  down  the  river,  where  I  examined  all  the 
creeks,  lakes  and  old  river  beds.  These  streams  were 
very  crooked  but  very  deep.  Having  completed  my 
examinations  and  decided  what  to  do,  I  was  about  to 
return  up  the  river  when  the  captain,  who  was  the 
principal  owner  of  the  boat  and,  when  at  home,  a  resi- 
dent of  Appalachicola,  suggested  that  we  run  down, 
and  if  we  found  it  practicable,  to  land  at  Appalachicola, 
and  load  up  with  machinery,  casting,  and  such  other 


30  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

things  as  we  sadly  needed.  Concealing  the  soldiers  on 
,  the  lower  deck,  we  continued  down  the  river.  As  soon 
as  we  saw  that  the  Federal  ship  was  at  anchor  some 
distance  down  the  Bay,  we  put  on  steam,  made  the 
wharf,  and  took  on  a  good  load,  the  soldiers  working 
with  a  will.  On  my  way  up  the  Captain  called  my  at- 
tention to  Owl  Creek,  the  mouth  of  which  was  very 
much  lower  down  than  our  explorations  had  extended, 
and  I  determined  to  explore  it.  It  was  very  deep  but 
very  difficult  to  navigate  on  account  of  its  crookedness. 
We  surprised  and  were  surprised  by  an  old  planter, 
who  had,  as  he  thought,  hid  himself  and  his  negroes 
there.  When  the  coast  had  been  abandoned,  he  had 
moved  all  his  negroes  and  supplies  to  that  pine  forest, 
built  comfortable  cabins  and  fixed  himself  for  the  war. 
When  he  saw  the  smoke  of  the  boat  he  thought  it  was 
the  Federals,  and  like  Pell  and  the  bomb  shell  wondered 
where  they  would  come  next.     Leaving  the  boat  at 

his  landing  I  got  him  to  ride  out  to river.6 

On  the  bank  of  this  river  I  found  a  fisherman  and  his 
family,  who,  having  abandoned  his  home  on  the  gulf 
was  living  in  a  tent  made  of  a  sail.  The  country  near 
this  river  is  exceedingly  beautiful. 

Having  finished  my  explorations  I  left  the  boat  at 
Bainbridge,  Georgia,  and  went  to  Tallahassee,  Florida, 
to  report  my  presence  and  duties  in  that  district.  Re- 
turning to  the  boat,  we  went  on  it  up  the  river  as  far 
as  Fort  Gaines,  Georgia.  There  I  wrote  letters  to  the 
mayors  of  Eufalla  and  Columbus,  stating  what  labor 
and  materials  I  should  need  and  requesting  that  they 
be  ready  for  me  on  my  return  to  Columbus,  on  a  fixed 

6  The  name  of  this  river  is  omitted  in  the  Mss. —  (Ed.) 


Gun.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  31 

date.  When  we  reached  Milledgeville,  Gladding  found 
a  letter  informing  him  that  there  was  a  vessel  loaded 
with  cotton  ready  for  him  to  take  out,  and  requesting 
him  to  come  to  Savannah  at  once.  Gladding  had 
been  an  officer  of  the  United  States  revenue  marine. 
He  had  already  run  the  blockade  successfully.  He 
succeeded  in  getting  out  with  his  cotton,  but  was  cap- 
tured on  his  return  trip.  After  I  had  been  made  a 
Brigadier  General  I  asked  his  appointment  as  captain 
and  adjutant  general  on  my  staff  and  that  he  be  ex- 
changed. When  exchanged,  he  insisted  on  returning 
by  the  way  of  Hilton  Head:  there,  for  some  reason, 
he  was  placed  in  irons  and  died  in  close  confinement. 

On  my  return  to  Columbus,  I  found  neither  work- 
men or  materials,  and  no  steps  had  been  taken  to  pro- 
vide them.  The  scare  was  off  and  the  labor  was 
needed  in  the  crops,  so  it  was  proposed  to  put  off  the 
work  until  later  in  the  season.  Having  read  my  report 
to  General  Pemberton  and  to  Judge  Iverson,  I  then 
forwarded  it  by  mail  and  returned  to  Milledgeville. 

I  had  been  there  but  a  short  time  when  the  battle  of 
Secessionville,  South  Carolina,  took  place.7  This  and 
other  fighting  on  James  Island  implied  that  the  Fed- 
erals intended  to  follow  the  path  of  the  British  and 
endeavor  to  take  Charleston  in  the  rear. 

I  obtained  Governor  Brown's  permission  to  go  to 
Charleston.  This  effort  of  the  Federals  had  created 
uneasiness  at  Richmond  and  General  Cooper  was  sent 
there.  I  was  very  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  meeting 
him  as  it  enabled  me  to  enquire  into  my  status  at 
Richmond.    He  told  me  that  my  resignation  had  been 

7  June  16,  1862. — (Ed.) 


32  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

received  at  an  unfortunate  time ;  that  many  others  had, 
like  myself,  sent  in  similar  papers  about  that  time ;  that 
Mr.  Davis  had  been  very  much  annoyed  thereat  and 
bunched  the  whole,  determined  to  take  no  further  no- 
tice of  them.  Then  I  asked  him  why  it  was  that  pre- 
vious to  that,  no  notice  had  ever  been  taken  of  the 
various  applications  for  my  promotion  and  especially 
the  one  with  reference  to  the  command  at  Mobile.  Con- 
cerning that  one  he  knew  that  in  the  same  envelope 
there  was  a  private  letter  to  Mr.  Davis,  explaining  that 
while  he  considered  the  promotion  due  me,  that  he 
(General  Bragg)  could  not  well  dispense  with  my  ser- 
vices on  his  staff,  and  that  the  promotion  be  withheld 
for  the  time  being.    This  was  news. 

I  also  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  inquire 
concerning  the  charges  made  by  General  Bragg  against 
General  Richard  Anderson  and  to  state  facts  in  that 
case  as  I  knew  them.  General  Cooper  asked  me  if  I 
would  object  to  giving  him  what  I  had  stated  in  writ- 
ing. So  far  from  it,  if  it  would  be  of  any  service  to 
General  Anderson,  I  would  do  so  gladly.  I  did  give 
him  a  written  statement,  and  shortly  afterwards  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  promotion  of  that  chiv- 
alrous officer. 

The  Federal  assault  on  Secessionville,  June  16th, 
1862,  had  been  made  in  force;  being  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss  they  withdrew  from  James  Island. 

On  my  return  to  Milledgeville  I  urged  the  Governor 
to  permit  me  to  construct  defensive  lines  about  Atlanta. 
This  was  objected  to,  through  fear  that  it  might  have 
a  demoralizing  influence.  It  was  determined  that  I 
should  visit  the  mines,  nitre  caves  and  foundries  in 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  33 

upper  Georgia,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  if  State 
control  or  aid  would  facilitate  the  working  of  them. 
Very  soon  after  my  inspection  and  before  any  decided 
action  had  been  taken,  the  Nitre  and  Mining  Bureau 
of  the  Confederate  Government  was  created.  I  had 
found  that  the  abandoned  copper  mines  near  Canton 
yielded  lead  and  thought,  in  a  time  of  such  emergency, 
they  ought  to  be  worked  for  it.  The  iron  at  Etowah 
and  Rome  was  well  adapted  to  ordnance  purposes ;  but 
we  were  in  need  of  persons  familiar  with  the  manu- 
facture of  modern  guns.  The  Nobles  at  Rome  were 
casting  some  small  guns,  but  they  were  of  old  patterns. 
They  were  very  proud  of  their  guns,  and  were  casting 
their  names  and  place  upon  the  trunions.  I  suggested 
that  the  first  one  captured  by  the  Federals  would  lead 
to  a  raid  to  destroy  their  foundry.  And  it  so  happened. 
On  my  return  to  Milledgeville  I  found  a  telegram 
-from  Mr.  Davis  inviting  me  to  accept  a  position  on  his 
personal  staff.  I  have  always  thought  that  this  was 
due  to  either  General  Lee  or  Cooper  or  both,  and  that 
courtesy  to  them,  as  well  as  to  Mr.  Davis,  demanded 
my  acceptance,  but  I  could  not  possibly  make  up  my 
mind  to  do  so,  and  declined. 


CHAPTER  III 

The  Invasion  of  Kentucky  (1862) — Battle  of 
Richmond — Capture  oe  Lexington — The  In- 
auguration at  Frankfort — Retreat. 

In  August  Governor  Brown  received  a  letter  from 
General  E.  Kirby  Smith  at  Chattanooga  asking  for 
assistance.  The  Governor  could  offer  only  some  ar- 
tillery harness  and  my  services.  He  accepted  both  and 
I  was  sent  to  Chattanooga. 

When  I  reached  Chattanooga,  General  Kirby  Smith 
had  gone  to  Knoxville,  leaving  General  Henry  Heth 
in  command :  before  the  harness  arrived,  General  Jno. 
P.  McCown  took  command  and  his  brother,  who  was 
his  chief  of  artillery,  took  possession  of  the  harness 
on  his  arrival.  Finding  I  could  do  nothing,  either 
within  my  own  State  or  out  of  it,  without  a  Confeder- 
ate commission,  I  so  informed  the  Honorable  Secre- 
tary of  War,  in  a  most  respectful  letter :  and  in  reply 
received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of  Artillery  in  the 
provisional  army,  with  orders  to  report  to  General 
E.  Kirby  Smith. 

I  found  the  General  completing  his  preparations  for 
an  advance  into  Kentucky.  Leaving  General  Carter 
Stevenson's  division  of  infantry,  and  Colonel  Ben  All- 
ston's  Brigade  of  Cavalry  to  hold  the  Federals  in  Cum- 
berland Gap,  he  ordered  General  (then  Colonel)  John 
H.  Morgan  with  his  division  of  cavalry  to  keep  well 
out  towards  the  center  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky, 
and  to  meet  him  in  Lexington  on  the  second  day  of 
September. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A'.  35 

General  Kirby  Smith's  staff  consisted  of  aide-de- 
camps, Captains  E.  Cunningham  and  E.  Walworth; 
Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Captain  (afterwards  Col- 
onel) J.  F.  Belton;  H.  P.  Pratt,  private  (afterwards 
captain  and  assistant  adjutant  general)  of  the  Eufala 
Artillery,  as  clerk;  Colonel  J.  A.  Brown,  Chief  of  Ar- 
tillery and  Ordnance;  Colonel  John  Pegram,  detached 
from  General  Bragg  and  acting  as  Chief  Engineer;2 
Freret,  private  (afterwards  Captain  of  Engineers)  of 
the  Washington  Artillery  of  New  Orleans,  as  draughts- 
man ;  Captain  J.  G.  Meem,  chief  signal  officer,  and 
also  doing  duty  as  aide-de-camp ;  Dr.  Sol  Smith,  sur- 
geon; Lieutenant  Colonel  H.  McD.  McElrath,  quarter- 
master; Major  Thomas,  commissary;  Prince  Polignac, 
with  the  rank  of  Colonel,  and  myself  unassigned.  The 
army  with  which  we  crossed  the  mountains  consisted  of 
two  brigades  of  Arkansas  troops,  commanded  respec- 
tively by  Brigadier  Generals  P.  R.  Cleburn  and  T.  J. 
Churchhill;  one  Texas  brigade,  commanded  by  Briga- 
dier General  Wm.  McCray;  one  Tennessee  brigade, 
commanded  by  the  gallant  Colonel  Wm.  Baker,  after- 
wards Governor  ;3  one  Florida  brigade,  commanded  by 
the  same  Colonel  J.  J.  Finley,  that  I  had  met  at  Chatta- 
hoochee; one  brigade  of  cavalry,  commanded  by  Col- 
onel Jno.  S.  Scott,  of  Louisiana;  and  one  by  Colonel 
Gano  of  Georgia;4  one  battery  of  light  artillery  from 
Florida,  and  one  company  of  Florida  cavalry  at  head- 
quarters. 

2  According  to  the  Official  Records  Pegram  was  Chief  of  Staff. 
Series  I,  Vol.  16,  Pt.  2,  p.  973.— (Ed.) 

3  According  to  the  Official  Records,  the  Tennessee  Brigade  was 
commanded  by  Alpheus  Baker ;  but  he  was  never  Governor  of 
Tennessee. —  (  Ed.  ) 

4  Apparently  reference  is  to  R.  N.  Gano  of  Kentucky,  not 
Georgia. — (Ed.) 


36  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

Taking  the  route  through  Clinton  and  Jacksborough 
we  crossed  the  Cumberland  mountains  at  Big  Creek 
Gap.  At  the  "Clear  Fork"  of  the  Cumberland  River 
we  were  overtaken  by  General  McCown,  who,  having 
expressed  a  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  pushing  on  to 
Barboursville,  leaving  a  large  force  of  Federals  at  the 
gap  in  our  rear,  the  afternoon  was  spent  in  debating 
the  question.  McCown  was  the  only  other  Major-Gen- 
eral in  the  command  and  had  come  up  unexpectedly. 
We  persuaded  General  Kirby  Smith  that  if  McCown 
remained  and  continued  in  the  same  spirit  there  was 
no  hope  of  success,  and  finally  to  order  him  back  to  the 
command  of  Tennessee. 

We  pushed  on  rapidly  to  Barboursville,  so  rapidly 
as  to  surprise  all  the  country,  capture  a  few  officers, 
and  some  supplies.  The  country  through  which  we 
had  come  was  intensely  Union.  Its  young  men,  hav- 
ing to  choose  between  being  conscripts  or  Union  sol- 
diers, had  enlisted  in  the  Union  army.  Its  elderly  men, 
so  soon  as  they  found  out  who  we  were,  bushwhacked 
us  at  every  turn  of  the  road.  While  waiting  to  hear 
from  or  of  General  Bragg  the  troops  were  moved  up 
the  Cumberland  valley  towards  the  gap. 

Not  hearing  from  General  Bragg,  General  Kirby 
Smith  decided  to  move  on  Lexington.  When  the 
troops  marched  back  down  the  valley  they  thought  it 
was  a  retreat,  and  marched  in  silence,  with  banners 
furled ;  but  when  they  turned  north  through  Barbours- 
ville, flags  unfurled,  drums  beat  and  the  rebel  yell  was 
distinctly  audible.  One  determined  young  woman  stood 
upon  a  balcony  and  waved  the  stars  and  stripes  over 
us  as  we  passed.     The  soldiers  cheered  her.    General 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  37 

Kirby  Smith  directed  me  to  ride  in  advance  with  Scott's 
cavalry,  not  only  to  keep  him  advised  as  to  what  was 
going  on  in  front,  but  also,  should  the  necessity  arise, 
of  settling  a  question  of  rank  between  Generals  Cle- 
burn  and  Churchill. 

The  afternoon  before  the  battle  of  Richmond  we 
came  suddenly  upon  the  Federals  in  line  of  battle.  It 
was  nearly  sunset  and  we  considered  it  advisable  to 
withdraw.  When  I  reached  Cleburn's  brigade,  which 
was  in  advance,  he  was  bivouacing  it  in  line  of  battle. 
I  informed  him  of  the  disposition  of  the  Federals  and 
how  near  they  were  to  his  front.  P.  P.  Cleburn  was 
one  of  the  very  best  officers  in  the  southern  army:  he 
should  have  commanded  a  corps :  he  was  killed  at 
Nashville.5  Shortly  after  I  left  him  the  Federal  Cav- 
alry came  dashing  down  the  road;  the  disposition  of 
his  troops  enabled  him  to  give  them  a  warm  reception. 
From  there  to  headquarters  I  found  that  the  soldiers 
had  lain  down  where  they  were  halted  and  gone  to 
sleep  without  food.  Reaching  General  Kirby  Smith, 
he  informed  me  that  he  had  given  orders  for  the  troops 
to  be  put  in  motion  before  daybreak.  I  begged  him  not 
to,  told  him  the  condition  of  his  own  troops,  also  that 
of  the  Federals;  that  they  were  fresh  and  prepared 
to  receive  him.  I  advised  that  the  command  be  per- 
mitted to  sleep  as  long  as  they  wished  to,  that  they  be 
permitted  to  cook  and  enjoy  their  breakfast,  for  there 
was  a  hard  day's  work  before  them.  When  he  con- 
sented to  do  so,  instead  of  wakening  some  of  the 
young  men  about  headquarters,  he  sent  me  to  the  vari- 
ous commands  with  his  change  of  orders.    Thanks  to 

BThis  officer  was  killed  at  the  Battle  of  Franklin,  in  1864. —  (Ed.) 


38  Military  R£minisc£nc£s  of 

the  change,  our  soldiers  went  into  the  fight  in  splendid 
condition  and  we  whipped. 

General  Cleburn,  who  opened  the  fight,  sent  word 
that  the  Federals  were  moving  heavy  masses  to  his 
right.  General  Kirby  Smith  directed  me  to  investigate. 
With  Freret  and  a  young  engineer  I  rode  too  far  to 
the  right  and  came  out  in  the  rear  of  the  Federals. 
They  were  in  full  retreat  and  seeing,  as  they  thought, 
cavalry  in  their  rear,  surrendered. 

Between  the  first  and  second  fights  a  cloud  of  dust 
indicated  a  large  body  of  troops  on  our  left.  General 
Kirby  Smith  sent  me  to  see  who  they  were.  I  found 
Scott's  cavalry  who,  having  lost  the  road,  had  moved 
towards  the  firing.  I  explained  the  situation  and  di- 
rected him  to  move  on  rapidly  and  get  between  the 
Federals  and  Lexington.  This  he  accomplished  so 
successfully  that  he  captured  General  M.  D.  Manson 
and  his  staff  and  nearly  all  the  Federal  Army. 

During  the  afternoon  General  William  Nelson, 
known  as  "Bull  Nelson,"  formerly  of  the  Navy  and 
afterwards  killed  by  Jefferson  C.  Davis  at  Louisville, 
took  command,  and  forming  a  third  line  of  battle  just 
south  of  Richmond,  offered  us  battle.  This  was  so  un- 
expected that  General  Smith  and  myself,  riding 
leisurely  up  the  road  in  advance  of  the  army,  came 
within  short  range  before  we  were  aware  of  it. 
Seeing  an  officer  gallop  down  the  road,  and  hearing 
him  command  to  "bring  on  the  cavalry,"  I  rode  close 
up  to  and  along  side  of  the  fence,  expecting  them  to 
come  by  with  a  rush,  and  saw  already  our  victory 
turned  into  a  rout.  Had  they  come  Sheridan's  charge 
at  Winchester  would  have  been  a  duplicate.    They  did 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  39 

not  come,  and  we  had  time  to  get  out  of  the  road  and 
form  line :  then  a  single  charge  of  the  infantry,  before 
the  artillery  could  be  brought  into  action,  drove  them 
through  Richmond  and  on  to  Scott.6  The  following 
day  we  remained  in  Richmond  equipping  our  men  with 
captured  arms  and  ammunition  (those  that  had  armed 
with  smooth-bore  muskets).  The  following  day  with 
a  small  force  of  infantry,  107  all  told,  and  20  cavalry- 
men for  couriers,  and  Freret  for  company,  I  was  sent 
in  advance.  My  orders  were  to  push  forward  and  to 
keep  General  Kirby  Smith  advised.  The  Federals 
were  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Kentucky  River.  They 
retired  and  permitted  us  to  cross  unmolested.  I  gave 
Freret  permission  to  worry  them  with  the  mounted 
men,  which  he  did,  capturing  a  few  prisoners.  At 
Todhunter's  I  was  informed  that  a  full  and  fresh  regi- 
ment of  cavalry  had  just  come  out  to  cover  the  retreat 
of  the  Federals  and  that  my  force  "was  too  small  mid 
we  would  be  captured. 

We  went  on  until  we  came  in  sight  of  them  in  line  of 
battle.  A  thousand  fresh  cavalry,  in  new  uniforms 
and  freshly  mounted,  in  line  of  battle  is  a  beautiful 
sight.  Not  knowing  how  far  I  was  ahead  of  the  army 
I  did  not  see  any  more  safety  in  going  back  than  in 
remaining.  I  sent  a  message  to  General  Kirby  Smith 
and  requested  that  he  would  send  me  a  couple  of 
pieces  of  smooth-bore  cannon.  Whenever  the  retreat- 
ing troops  would  have  retired  sufficiently,  the  cavalry 
would  wheel  about  by  companies  and  gallop  back  to.  a 
new  position.    After  a  long  time  General  Kirby  Smith 

6  The  date  of  the  conflict  at  Richmond  was  August  30,  1862. 
—  (Ed.) 


40  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

sent  me  a  rifled  cannon;  we  fired  one  shot  at  the  cav- 
alry, but  the  next  one  stuck  in  the  gun.  Captain  Cun- 
ningham, one  of  General  Smith's  aides,  came  up  about 
this  time.  I  showed  him  the  Federal  line,  our  small 
force,  and  disabled  gun ;  also  I  told  him  that  there  was 
plenty  of  water  just  ahead  for  camping  purposes,  but 
that  I  needed  a  few  more  troops  and  above  all  some 
artillery.  I  heard  nothing  more  from  General  Smith, 
and  after  waiting  until  sunset  I  withdrew  my  com- 
mand. We  went  back  nearly  six  miles  before  we  found 
our  pickets  and  nearly  two  more  before  we  reached 
headquarters. 

As  I  approached  headquarters  I  heard  one  soldier 
ask  another,  "where  those  wagons  were  going?"  He 
replied,  "that  the  train  wagons  were  being  emptied 
and  sent  back  to  bring  up  Heth's  division ;"  the  first 
then  remarked,  "that  means  retreat,  for  the  Yanks 
could  reinforce  faster  than  we  could." 

At  headquarters  I  found  a  rather  peculiar  state  of 
affairs.  A  sudden  halt  had  been  ordered,  the  advance 
drawn  back  to  where  I  found  it,  all  the  wagons  were 
being  unloaded  and  sent  back  to  bring  Heth's  division. 
A  herald  was  being  gotten  ready  to  summon  the  Fed- 
eral commander,  at  the  sound  of  a  midnight  bugle,  to 
evacuate  Lexington  or  come  outside  of  it,  to  fight.  It 
looked  very  much  like  a  panic.  There  was  no  answer 
to  the  bugle,  and  the  herald  rode  into  town  without 
being  questioned.  The  Federal  commander,  C.  C.  Gil- 
bert, had  also  been  seized  with  an  uncertainty,  and 
while  we  were  preparing  the  herald  he  was  making 
hot  haste  in  another  direction.  I  afterwards  heard 
that  Gilbert  received  a  brevet  for  skill  in  withdrawing 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  41 

his  command ;  but  when  the  circumstances  became  bet- 
ter known,  the  brevet  was  revoked.  We  now  found 
that,  if  we  had  followed  the  Federals  up  closely,  we 
could  have  gone  into  Lexington  the  night  before,  and 
have  captured  valuable  supplies. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  September  the  first,  I  rode 
into  Lexington  with  the  advance  guard,  just  one  day 
earlier  than  was  fixed  for  General  Morgan  to  report 
there.  Morgan  came  in  on  the  next  day.  The  town 
seemed  deserted;  but  at  the  front  door  of  one  house 
there  were  a  lot  of  ladies  who  appeared  excited,  and 
were  concealing  something.  Presuming  it  to  be  a  Con- 
federate flag,  I  called  them  to  let  it  wave ;  and  they  did. 

The  Federals  being  very  much  demoralized  I  had 
presumed  that  we  would  push  rapidly  towards  Cincin- 
nati. I  was  very  much  surprised  when  headquarters 
were  established  at  Lexington.  I  do  not  know,  but 
afterwards  inferred,  that  it  was  done  by  the  advice  of 
Dr.  Sol  Smith.  I  shall  always  regard  this  as  another 
of  those  grand  opportunities  lost.7 

The  Federals  at  Cumberland  Gap  under  General  G. 
W.  Morgan  finally  abandoned  it.  When  General  Smith 
heard  of  this,  he  went  over  to  General  Humphrey 
Marshall's  brigade,  at  Mount  Sterling,  for  the  purpose 
of  intercepting  them:  but  we  were  too  late.  Marshall 
had  been  sent  from  West  Virginia  across  the  moun- 
tains to  report  to  General  Smith. 

General  Smith's  army,  under  the  immediate  com- 

7  The  Official  Records  show  that  the  Kentucky  campaign  was 
planned  by  Kirby  Smith.  Bragg,  however,  was  superior  in  com- 
mand and  he  directed  Kirby  Smith  to  await  his  arrival  in  order 
to  make  a  joint  attack  on  Louisville.  Official  Records,  Series  I, 
Vol.  16,  Pt.  II,  pp.  8,  15,  6.  There  is  some  evidence  that  Kirby 
Smith  wished  to  attack  Cincinnati — Memoir  of  Kirby  Smith,  p.  221. 
—  (Ed.) 

5 


42  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

mand  of  Heth,  moved  on  towards  Cincinnati,  but  with 
positive  orders  not  to  go  within  the  neck  of  land  made 
by  the  Ohio  river,  opposite  to  it.  Heth  found  the 
whole  country  in  a  panic  and  believed  he  could  cross 
the  river  and  enter  Ohio.  He  sent  more  than  one  mes- 
senger to  General  Smith  asking  his  permission  to  be  al- 
lowed to  enter  Covington.  What  a  grand  diversion 
in  favor  of  Generals  Lee  and  Bragg  it  would  have 
been! 

We  soon  learned  that  General  Bragg  had  turned 
Nashville  and  was  upon  General  Buell's  line  of  com- 
munication, compelling  Buell  to  follow  him.  Now  oc- 
curred one  of  General  Bragg's  peculiar  movements.  He 
deliberately  stepped  to  one  side  and  let  Buell  pass  him 
with  his,  Buell's,  whole  flank  open  to  his  attack  and 
never  molested  him. 

General  Kirby  Smith  received  orders  from  General 
Bragg  to  concentrate  at  Frankfort,  as  it  was  his, 
General  Bragg's,  intention  to  inaugurate  the  Confed- 
erate Governor  there.  The  day  before  the  expected 
arrival  of  General  Bragg  and  the  future  Governor, 
General  Kirby  Smith  formed  his  line  of  battle  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Kentucky  river.  After  inspecting 
his  line  he  sent  me  to  inspect  the  pickets.  I  found  our 
cavalry  about  a  mile  in  front  of  our  line  but  no  pickets, 
not  even  a  sentinel.  Colonel  Scott  promised  to  send 
out  pickets  at  once.  Every  one  had  had  supper  when 
I  got  back.  General  Bragg  and  staff,  the  future  Gov- 
ernor, a  number  of  prominent  men,  and  many  ladies 
were  at  the  hotel.  The  Governor  was  to  be  inaugurated 
the  next  day  at  noon.  General  Bragg,  with  great  con- 
fidence, informed  the  ladies  that  they  might  witness  a 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  43 

battle  the  next  day  or,  at  the  latest,  the  day  after.  His 
army  had  not  yet  come  up,  but  was  in  easy  supporting 
distance. 

Our  right  rested  on  a  ravine;  General  Kirby  Smith 
was  uneasy  about  this  flank  and  had  directed  me  to  go 
up  this  ravine  early  next  morning,  to  move  slowly,  keep 
a  good  look  out,  and  if  necessary  send  him  messen- 
gers.   I  started  very  early  and  was  still  moving  away 
from  our  line,  when  I  heard  the  inauguration  salute 
fired.    From  the  remarks  of  the  escort  it  appeared  that 
they  were  recruits ;  upon  enquiry,  I  found,  to  my  anx- 
iety, that  there  was  not  an  old  soldier  among  them. 
As  the  afternoon  advanced,  hearing  nothing  more  and 
having  seen  nothing,  I  returned  to  Frankfort.    It  was 
dark  when  I  crossed  the  bridge.     As  I  crossed  the 
Railroad,  I  saw  a  train  of  passenger  and  box  cars  filled 
with  people.    Seeing  some  ladies  that  I  knew  in  one  of 
the  box  cars,  I  rode  up  and  asked  if  it  was  the  fear  of 
the  coming  battle  that  drove  them  away  from  the  in- 
auguration ball  that  General  Bragg  had  promised  them. 
One  of  them  with  much  indignation  asked  me  if  this 
was  any  time  for  trifling.    I  then  noticed  that  some  of 
them  were  in  tears.     One  pointing  up  the  hill  asked 
me  what  that  meant;  it  was  the  rear  guard  of  a  re- 
treating army.     Looking  in  the  other  direction  I  saw 
the  bridge  that  I  had  just  crossed  was  burning.     I 
apologized,  stating  what  I  had  been  doing  all  day.    My 
negro  man,  Shadrick,  coming  up  with  my  extra  horse, 
I  told  the  ladies  that  so  soon  as  I  had  fed  my  horses 
and  myself  I  would  return  and  keep  them  company 
until  the  train  started.    When  Mrs.  Humphreys  asked 
me  where  I  proposed  to  get  supper,  I  could  not  say, 


44  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

but  that  with  the  prospect  of  an  all-night  ride  I  would 
do  my  best.  She  insisted  on  getting  out  of  the  car  and 
taking  me  to  the  house  of  a  friend.  Having  been 
sumptuously  fed  we  returned  to  the  car.  When  the 
train  left,  I  left,  to  follow  one  of  the  most  unnecessary 
and  disgraceful  retreats  recorded  in  history.8 

After  waiting  at  Versailles  a  day  General  Kirby 
Smith,  taking  me  with  him,  rode  down  to  General 
Bragg's  headquarters  at  Harrodsburg.  The  two  armies 
were  now  touching  each  other,  forming  together  the 
largest  and  best  western  army  we  had  ever  had,  or 
were  likely  again  to  have. 

We  reached  General  Bragg's  headquarters  about 
noon.  He  was  surrounded  by  a  large  retinue  of  hang- 
ers on,  and  it  was  hard  to  get  a  quiet  interview.  His 
conversation  and  actions  were  unaccountable,  they 
were  like  those  of  a  wild  man.  He  gave  General  Kirby 
Smith  to  understand  that  he  did  not  need  his  army, 
that  with  his  own  troops  he  could  whip  anything  the 
Federals  could  bring  against  him.  General  Smith  re- 
turned to  Versailles  completely  at  a  loss  what  to  do. 
During  the  next  morning  he  gave  General  Marshall 
permission  to  return  to  Lexington  and  await  events. 
We  tried  to  persuade  him  to  do  so  also :  but  during  the 
afternoon  the  sound  of  battle  in  Bragg's  direction  de- 
cided him  to  go  at  once  to  his  assistance. 

While  waiting  on  the  train  at  Frankfort,  I  tele- 
graphed to  Shropshire  that,  if  he  proposed  to  leave 
Kentucky  with  our  army  he  had  better  start,  that 
I  would  share  my  bed  and  board  with  him.  He  joined 
me  the   afternoon  that   General   Bragg  was   fighting 

s  The  evacuation  of  Frankfort  was  on  October  4,  1862. —  (Ed.) 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  45 

the  battle  of  Perryville,  October  8th.  My  bed  con- 
sisted of  a  few  blankets  on  the  ground  under  a  tree 
where  we  were  repeatedly  roused,  during  the  night,  by 
couriers.  While  sharing  my  breakfast  next  morning, 
served  direct  from  the  cooking  utensils,  Shropshire 
asked,  "Well,  Colonel,  is  this  your  bed?"  "Yes!"  "Is 
this  your  board?"  "Yes!"  "Well!  if  you  will  not 
feel  hurt,  I  will  go  at  once  to  Knoxville."  I  made  no 
objections  and  when  I  saw  him  again,  it  was  at  Knox- 
ville. 

Without  orders  and  unsolicited,  General  Kirby 
Smith  moved  his  army  to  the  assistance  of  General 
Bragg.  When  we  reached  Harrodsburg,  General  J.  M. 
Withers'  command  was  all  that  we  found  of  General 
Bragg's  army;  the  remainder  were  in  retreat  to  camp 
Dick  Robinson.  General  Smith  bivouaced  his  army 
in  line  of  battle,  and  then  asked  me  to  find  a  place  for 
headquarters.  I  found  a  comfortable  house,  a  short 
distance  in  front  of  his  line,  which  had  been  abandoned 
in  hot  haste.  Overcoming  his  objection  to  being  in 
front  of  his  line  we  were  not  only  most  comfortable 
for  the  night  but  were  a  protection  to  the  property.  Our 
escort  and  couriers  now  consisting  of  a  company  of 
Georgians  commanded  by  Captain  Nelson,  posted  a 
few  sentinels  between  us  and  the  Federals.  About 
dusk  I  was  sent  with  orders  to  General  Withers :  while 
tying  my  horse  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  his  quarters, 
I  was  ordered,  most  peremptorily  and  brusquely,  to 
untie  my  horse  and  take  him  off  the  lawn.  Instead  of 
so  doing  I  walked  up  to  General  J.  M.  Withers,  whom 
I  had  recognized,  and  remarking,  "there  are  orders 
from  General  Smith  which  I  could  not  deliver  without 


46  Miutary  Reminiscences  of 

tieing  my  horse !"  I  bade  him  good  evening  and  with- 
out further  ceremony  mounted  and  left  him. 

When  General  Smith  rode  to  Harrodsburg  the  day 
before  the  battle  of  Perryville,  we  met  Major  General 
Frank  Gardner's  division  in  the  road.  The  two  armies 
were  then  touching  each  other.  The  day  following, 
during  the  afternoon  of  which  the  battle  was  fought, 
the  two  armies  were  getting  further  apart  and  Hum- 
phry Marshall  with  his  brigade  had  started  for  Lexing- 
ton. The  next  day  General  Smith  was  hurrying  to 
General  Bragg's  assistance,  and  General  Bragg  was 
running  away  to  Camp  Dick  Robinson. 

The  following  day  I  was  given  half  a  dozen  mounted 
men  and  orders  to  burn  certain  bridges  after  all  the 
troops  had  passed,  and  then  to  ride  with  the  rear 
guard.  General  Duncan,  who  commanded  the  rear 
brigade,  was  an  old  acquaintance,  and  we  rode  along 
together  very  sociably.  We  first  noticed  some  cavalry 
to  the  south,  moving  parallel  with  us.  As  we  made 
out  some  blue  overcoats  among  them,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  ascertain  who  they  were.  It  turned  out  to 
be  Allston's  brigade,  having  among  them  some  cap- 
tured overcoats.  Presently  one  of  General  Smith's 
aides  spoke  to  General  Duncan.  Duncan  referred  him 
to  me  as  representing  General  Smith.  It  was  con- 
cerning this  same  cavalry  that  he  was  enquiring.  I 
told  Captain  Cunningham  to  inform  General  Smith 
who  commanded  the  rear  guard,  and  that  nothing  could 
be  more  satisfactory.  Again  and  again  would  General 
Smith  send  back,  and  finally  came  back  himself,  Dun- 
can remarking  to  me,  "The  commanding  General  hav- 
ing taken  command  of  the  rear  guard  he,  Duncan, 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  47 

would  ride  at  the  head  of  his  brigade."  Putting  spurs 
to  his  horse  he  proceeded  to  do  so. 

That  afternoon  the  two  armies  were,  for  the  first 
time,  together  at  camp  Dick  Robinson.9 

Late  in  the  afternoon  General  Smith  ordered  me  to 
go  back  to  the  river  (Dicks  River)  and  if  possible  to 
gather  some  men  and  tools,  and  obstruct  the  crossing. 
Both  banks  were  high  bluffs  and  the  road  on  both  sides 
was  a  long  ramp  cut  from  the  banks.  When  I  reached 
the  river  I  found  Robinson's  battery  unlimbered,  with 
the  men  at  their  posts  ready  for  action.  Robinson  was 
a  West  Pointer,  being  a  native  of  Texas  and  having 
straight  dark  hair  he  was  nicknamed  "Comanche,"  and 
had  served  with  me  at  Pensacola.  He  called  to  know 
where  I  was  going.  He  then  told  me  that  the  Federal 
skirmishers  were  already  on  the  other  bank  of  the 
river,  firing  from  behind  trees  at  anyone  they  could 
get  a  shot  at,  and  that  he  was  only  waiting  for  them 
to  appear  in  force  to  open  with  his  battery.  While  I 
agreed  with  Robinson,  that  it  was  too  late  to  obstruct 
the  road,  I  did  not  like  to  go  back  without  making  a 
personal  investigation.  Leaving  my  horse  with  him 
I  walked  to  the  bank,  and  avoiding  the  road,  on  down 
to  the  river.  There  were  some  ten  or  more  of  our 
men  at  the  river  filling  canteens.  Returning  just  be- 
hind a  soldier  loaded  with  canteens,  he  fell  at  the 
same  instant  that  I  heard  a  musket  shot.  I  thought 
that  he  was  shot,  and  for  a  moment  so  did  he;  finding 
himself  unhurt,  he  picked  himself  up  and  looking 
around  remarked  "It  was  that  durned  old  root  and  I 

9  The  battle  of  Perryville  was  fought  Oct.  8,  1862  ;  Kirby  Smith 
joined  Bragg  at  Camp  Dick  Robinson  Oct.  11. —  (Ed.) 


48  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

thought  it  was  a  bullet."  Fortunately  it  was  getting 
dark.  Having  gotten  my  horse  I  returned  to  camp. 
Robinson  became  a  Brigadier  before  the  close  of  the 
war. 

On  the  following  day  there  was  a  grand  council  of 
war;  it  lasted  several  hours  and  resulted  in  a  most 
disgraceful  retreat.  General  Bragg  started  immedi- 
ately, by  the  way  of  Crab  Orchard,  and  never  stopped 
until  he  reached  Richmond. 

General  Smith  returned  by  the  way  of  Big  Hill. 
When  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  we  found  that 
all  of  the  captured  and  many  other  wagons  had  been 
turned  upon  our  road.  Forty-five  miles  of  wagons  on 
our  road  in  order  that  the  retreat  of  Bragg's  army 
should  not  be  impeded !  When  General  Smith  became 
aware  of  it,  General  Bragg  was  out  of  reach,  and  his 
army  rapidly  becoming  so,  leaving  our  entire  flank  ex- 
posed to  attack.  He  at  once  sent  a  messenger  to  Gen- 
eral Polk  explaining  the  situation.  General  Wheeler 
was  ordered  to  keep  upon  our  flank. 

Polignac  and  myself  were  ordered  to  the  foot  of 
the  hill  with  instructions  to  pack  all  wagons  that  were 
not  loaded  with  supplies.  Here  we  found  a  most  dis- 
graceful state  of  affairs,  many  wagons  being  loaded 
with  dry  goods,  shoes,  trimmings  and  trumpery  of  all 
kinds.  The  headquarter  wagons  of  one  Major  Gen- 
eral, accompanied  by  his  quartermaster,  were  already 
going  up  the  hill.  Two  days  afterwards  this  Major 
General  came  into  our  bivouac  while  we  were  eating  a 
hearty  breakfast;  in  his  hand  and  pockets  he  carried 
parched  corn.  He  remarked  how  well  we  fared,  but 
that  he  had  had  nothing  but  parched  corn  for  two 
days.  I  did  not  ask  him  where  his  headquarter  wagons 
were. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Inspection  oe  Cumberland  Gap — Promotion— 
With  Kirby  Smith  in  the  Trans  Mississippi 
Department — Richard  Taylor,  T.  H.  Holmes, 
and  Smith — Spies — Contraband  Trade  in  Cot- 
ton— Officers  under  General  Smith — Prob- 
lem oe  Communications. 

Arrived  at  Knoxville,  General  Smith  received  in- 
structions to  come  to  Richmond.  Before  leaving  he 
directed  me  to  go  to  Cumberland  Gap  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  if  it  could  be  fortified.  East  Tennes- 
see was  intensely  Union  and  it  was  very  unsafe  to  go 
a  few  miles  without  an  escort.  With  Freret  for  a  com- 
panion, and  an  escort  of  ten  men  detailed  from  an  East 
Tennessee  cavalry  regiment,  and  a  full  company  to 
meet  me  at  Clinton,  we  set  out  by  the  way  of  Clinton 
and  Powell's  river.  During  the  first  morning  we  met 
General  Churchill  and  staff.  He  advised  me  take  some 
other  route  as  there  was  nothing  left  on  that  road. 

All  of  my  escort  being  natives  of  that  region,  knew 
where  to  find  food  and  forage.  Nearly  every  night 
found  us  near  the  homes  of  some  of  my  escort;  they 
would  get  permission  to  spend  a  night  at  home  and  be- 
ing supplied  with  money  for  the  purpose  would  al- 
ways bring  in  supplies  when  they  returned.  One  morn- 
ing a  liberal  supply  of  eggs,  milk  and  apple  brandy 
were  brought  in ;  the  weather  was  cold,  and  that  night, 
borrowing  a  large  bowl  from  a  neighboring  house,  I 
got  Freret  to  concoct  what  is  called  in  Louisiana  hot 
-nog.     Taking  out  our  share  I  sent  the  sergeant 


50  Military  Reminiscences  of 

with  the  remainder  to  the  men.  I  heard  one  of  the  men 
as  he  sipped  it  say,  "If  that  is  the  sort  of  truck  the 
Colonel  makes  out'n  eggs,  milk  and  apple-jack,  he  was 
bound  to  have  it  every  night  on  this  trip." 

We  arrived  at  the  Gap  in  a  snow  storm :  leaving  the 
men  to  pitch  camp  in  as  sheltered  a  place  as  we  could 
find,  I  went  to  pay  my  respects  to  General  W.  G.  M. 
Davis  of  Florida,  the  commanding  officer. 

While  with  him  his  servant  announced  dinner :  with 
an  apology  for  his  meager  fare,  the  General  invited 
us  down.  I  told  the  General  that  we  had  ordered  a 
dinner  of  mutton  chops  and  mushrooms  and  unless  he 
could  improve  on  that  he  had  better  dine  with  us. 

"Mutton  chops  and  mushrooms!    Are  you  joking?" 

"No,  put  on  your  overcoat  and  come  along." 

We  dined  out  of  doors  in  a  snow  storm ;  but  the  din- 
ner was  served  "hot  and  hot." 

To  fortify  Cumberland  Gap  would  be  a  difficult,  ex- 
pensive and  useless  labor.  It  is  isolated,  can  be  easily 
flanked,  as  we  had  already  proven,  and  easily  carried 
by  assault.  To  prevent  the  last,  I  recommended  Cohorn 
mortars  or  hand  grenades. 

On  my  return  to  Knoxville,  General  Smith  informed 
me  that  the  object  of  his  call  to  Richmond  was  Mr. 
Davis'  desire  for  a  personal  interview ;  that  he  had  con- 
sented, upon  Mr.  Davis'  urgent  solicitation,  to  continue 
to  serve  under  General  Bragg  for  the  present. 

In  the  recent  campaign  General  Bragg  had  proved 
himself  unfit  for  a  high  command.  When  General 
Smith  found  himself  deserted  by  him,  he  told  me  that 
on  no  conditions  would  he  consider  to  serve  under  him 
again.     But  General  Bragg  was  retained  in  command 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  51 

and  Murfreesboro  and  Missionary  Ridge  are  lasting 
monuments  to  Mr.  Davis'  will  power. 

General  Smith  brought  me  my  commission  as  Briga- 
dier General.1  He  told  me  Mr.  Davis  objected  on  the 
grounds  that  my  services  were  needed  on  the  staff  and 
that  the  administration  of  the  army  was  being  de- 
stroyed by  personal  ambition.  General  Smith  called 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  my  being  a  general  officer 
need  not  prevent  my  being  on  staff  duty;  but  on  the 
contrary  that,  if  I  was  to  remain  with  him,  he  pre- 
ferred that  I  should  be  his  chief-of-staff  with  the  ad- 
ditional rank,  and  would  promise  for  me  that  I  should 
not  ask  for  a  command.  This  fixed  my  rank  and  place 
for  the  war. 

There  being  no  immediate  urgent  demand  for  my 
services  I  went,  on  leave  of  absence,  to  pass  the  Christ- 
mas holidays  with  my  family.  While  being  feasted 
and  made  much  of,  I  received  orders  to  meet  General 
Smith  at  Chattanooga  on  his  way  to  take  part  in  Gen- 
eral Bragg's  new  campaign.  When  I  reached  there 
I  found  orders  to  return  to  Knoxville  and  make  prep- 
arations to  move  headquarters  across  the  Mississippi 
River.  I  do  not  know  by  what  lucky  chance  the  trans- 
portation of  our  headquarters  was  placed  in  charge  of 
Major  Ezell,  quartermaster.  I  had  known  the  Major 
at  Pensacola,  he  was  then  a  private  in  the  first  Georgia, 
and  on  account  of  his  many  splendid  qualities  was  of 
inestimable  value  to  me. 

Everything  having  been  provided  for  the  move,  I 

JThe  date  of  appointment  was  Nov.  4,   1862. —  (Ed.) 


52  Military  RkminiscLncks  0f 

went  to  Milledgeville  for  my  family.2  At  Atlanta  we 
met  General  Smith  and  the  following  named  members 
of  his  staff,  to-wit :  Captains  Cunningham  and  E.  Wal- 
worth, aides-de-camp;  Col.  J.  F.  Belton  and  Captain 
H.  P.  Pratt,  adjutants  general;  Captain  Meem,  signal 
officer;  Col.  John  M.  Brown,  chief  of  ordnance  and 
artillery;  Major  Thomas,  commissary,  and  Freret, 
now  captain  of  engineers.  Major  Ezell,  quartermaster, 
was  in  charge  of  the  transportation  train  and  Dr.  Sol 
Smith,  surgeon,  whose  residence  was  at  Alexandria, 
La.,  had  gone  on  before. 

At  Montgomery  the  party  separated,  General  Smith 
with  a  few  officers  and  his  family  going  to  Mobile  by 
rail,  some  of  the  young  officers  with  Walworth  by  the 
way  of  his  home  on  the  Mississippi  River,  the  remain- 
der with  me  by  boat  to  Mobile.  My  brother  Robert,  my 
aide-de-camp,  joined  me  at  Mobile.  Our  route  was 
then  by  the  way  of  Meridien  to  Jackson.  The  quarter- 
master at  Jackson  was  profuse  in  his  attentions,  and 
having  assured  me  that  the  necessary  transportation 
had  been  provided,  I  went  on  to  Osyka.  When  I 
reached  there  it  looked  as  if  the  aforementioned 
quartermaster  had  been  anxious  to  get  us  away.  There 

2  My  daughter  Bessie,  then  in  her  fifth  year,  was  with  my 
parents  in  Augusta,  where  she  had  been  spending  the  holidays.  My 
mother  brought  her  to  Milledgeville  and  went  with  us  as  far  as 
Atlanta.  Our  parting  with  her  there  was  for  the  last  time  on 
earth,  for  after  the  sacking  of  Columbia  by  Sherman's  army,  she 
overtasked  her  strength  in  gathering  food  and  supplies  for  those 
distressed  people,   sickened  and  died. 

Sherman  denies  the  destruction  of  Columbia  by  his  army  and  it 
may  be  so :  but  in  the  winter  of  '66  and  '67  I  had  occasion  to 
visit  that  lower  part  of  South  Carolina  bordering  on  the  Savan- 
nah river  and  the  line  of  railway  between  Charleston  and  Savan- 
nah. The  imagination  can  not  take  in  the  extent  of  the  wanton 
and  malicious  destruction  of  property  of  all  kinds ;  which  it  can 
not  he  denied  was  done  by  his  army  ;  and  which  could  not  have 
been  done,  had  he  any  desire  to  prevent  it. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  53 

had  been  no  transportation  provided,  not  even  a  mes- 
sage that  we  were  coming  and  would  require  it.  After 
much  labor  we  succeeded  in  transporting  ourselves 
and  supplies  to  Clinton,  Louisiana.  There  I  learned 
that  two  Federal  gun  boats  had  passed  Vicksburg  and 
were  patrolling  the  river  directly  on  our  route.  I  went 
to  Port  Hudson  to  make  inquiries.  Major  General 
Frank  Gardner,  the  commanding  officer,  advised  me 
not  to  attempt  to  proceed,  but  to  wait  until  a  boat 
they  were  protecting  with  cotton  bales  should  preceed 
us.  Leaving  my  family  at  Clinton,  I  moved  the  head- 
quarter outfit  to  Port  Hudson  and  put  it  aboard  a 
boat  to  await  our  opportunity.  When  the  time  ap- 
proached for  the  completion  of  the  cotton-bale  gun- 
boat I  moved  my  family  down.  We  followed  the  gun- 
boat, but  our  Captain  stopped  at  so  many  places  to  take 
on  sugar  and  molasses  that  it  was  soon  out  of  sight  and 
hearing.  Coasting  along  the  west  bank  and  occasion- 
ally making  enquiries,  it  was  not  until  we  entered  the 
mouth  of  Red  River  that  we  felt  comparatively  safe. 
A  few  miles  inside  the  mouth  of  the  river  there  is  an 
island,  made  by  the  present  river  and  an  old 
bed  of  the  river.  We  were  steaming  up  the  north  side 
of  this  island  feeling  very  comfortable  when  we  no- 
ticed a  dense  smoke  from  a  steamer  moving  up  the 
other  side  of  the  island.  Starting  up  so  suddenly  and 
moving  so  rapidly  we  inferred  that  it  was  a  Federal 
gun- boat  waiting  for  just  such  an  opportunity.  It  was 
now  a  question  of  speed  and  we  made  all  we  could. 
We  reached  the  head  of  the  island  first  but  not  suffi- 
ciently far  to  have  been  out  of  reach  of  shot  and  were 
very  glad  to  find  we  had  been  running  a  race  with  one 


54  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

of  our  own  transports  from  the  Atchafalaya  Bayou. 
On  our  way  up  the  river  we  met  the  Steamer  Webb 
on'  her  way  to  attack  the  Indianola.  The  Webb  was 
an  ocean  steamer,  she  was  unarmored  but  very  fast. 
We  also  passed  the  Federal  gun  boat  Queen  of  the 
West;  which  having  ventured  up  Red  River,  had  been 
abandoned  by  her  crew,  after  being  disabled  by 
a  battery  of  small  guns.    She  accompanied  the  Webb.3 

Arrived  at  Alexandria  I  reported  to  General  Dick 
Taylor.  General  Taylor  sent  his  own  headquarter 
boat  to  Port  Hudson  for  General  Smith.  The  river  be- 
ing now  open,  General  Smith  was  soon  at  Alexandria. 

When  General  Smith  went  to  interview  General 
Taylor  he  took  me  with  him.  He  told  General  Taylor 
of  Mr.  Davis'  anxiety  about  Vicksburg  and  his  desires 
that  something  should  be  done  on  our  side  of  the  river. 
General  Taylor  asked  General  Smith  to  give  him,  at 
once,  another  brigade  for  that  duty,  and  to  order  me 
to  report  to  him  to  command  it — stating  that  General 
A.  G.  Blanchard,  who  was  in  that  district,  made  his 
headquarters  at  Monroe,  and  was  too  old  for  active 
service  near  the  river.  General  Smith  stated  that  he 
could  not  possibly  spare  me,  but  that  he  was  going  at 
once  to  Little  Rock,  and  under  positive  instructions 
from  Mr.  Davis,  would  send  General  George  Walker's 
division  of  Texas  troops  to  Milliken  Bend. 

About  that  time  there  arrived  at  headquarters  two 
men  who  claimed  to  be  sympathizers,  and  who  had 
brought  through  the  lines  two  bladders  of  quinine,  as 
a  pledge  of  good  faith.  Coming  at  that  particular  crisis, 
I  was  suspicious  and  expressed  my  doubts  to  General 

3  The  date  of  the  conflict  referred  to  was  Feb.  24,  1863. —  (Ed.) 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  55 

Smith.  I  was  very  much  surprised  when  I  found 
them  on  the  same  boat  that  was  to  take  us  to  Camden, 
en  route  for  Little  Rock,  and  still  more  so  when  Gen- 
eral Smith  gave  them  permission  to  get  off  at  Monroe 
and  visit  our  lines  opposite  Vicksburg.  One  of  them 
afterwards  came  to  Little  Rock,  took  down  many 
orders  from  various  persons  for  gew-gaws  and  jim- 
cracks,  and  with  a  pass  from  General  Smith,  returned 
north  through  our  lines.  With  his  memorandum  book 
open  he  came  to  know  what  he  could  bring  me  on  his 
next  trip.  I  not  only  declined  to  take  advantage  of 
his  kindness,  but  did  all  I  could  to  have  him  arrested. 
The  other  never  returned  from  opposite  Vicksburg, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  made  his  way  to  the  nearest  Fed- 
eral outpost  with  information  worth  many  bladders 
of  quinine. 

On  the  road  from  Camden  to  Little  Rock  we  passed 
many  nominal  deserters ;  these,  I  thought,  ought  to  be 
detained  for  several  months  at  least;  their  desertion 
was  entirely  too  systematic;  but  they  were  permitted 
to  go  on  through  the  lines. 

While  riding  with  General  Smith  between  Camden 
and  Little  Rock,  he  informed  me  that  Mr.  Davis  was 
very  much  annoyed  with  the  manner  in  which  General 
T.  H.  Holmes  had  been  conducting  the  department; 
that  he  had  centered  his  thoughts  and  ideas  on  Arkan- 
sas alone,  keeping  the  largest  and  best  body  of  his 
troops  centered  about  Little  Rock,  and  leaving  the  rest 
of  the  department  to  take  care  of  itself ;  that  he,  Gen- 
eral Smith,  would  send  Walker's  division  to  northern 
Louisiana,  with  orders  to  report  to  General  Taylor, 
and  might  send  others  troops  there  also.     I  was  not 


56  Military  Reminiscences  of 

present  at  the  interviews  between  Generals  Smith  and 
Holmes,  and  can  not  say  what  occurred ;  but  Walker's 
division  was  not  sent  at  once  to  Louisiana.  General 
Smith  seemed  to  have  fallen  under  the  same  influences 
as  General  Holmes  had  done. 

After  inspecting  the  troops  at  Pine  Bluff,  (two  di- 
visions that  at  that  instant  were  needed,  and  Mr.  Davis 
had  expected  to  be  opposite  Vicksburg),  and  spending 
some  time  at  Little  Rock  we  started  on  our  return  to 
Alexandria.  During  the  first  afternoon  we  were  over- 
taken by  a  terrific  storm  and  no  shelter  in  sight.  When 
night  came  on,  we  could  not  see  the  road  and  no  doubt 
passed  some  unseen  houses :  fortunately  some  one 
opened  a  door  to  look  out  at  the  weather.  We  rode  up 
and  asked  for  shelter.  It  was  a  small  house  with  lim- 
ited accommodations  and  no  men  at  home.  An  old 
lady,  the  grandmother,  said  she  could  not  turn  any  one 
away  such  a  night  as  that  and  would  do  the  best  she 
could.  The  head  of  the  family  was  absent  on  business, 
the  son  and  son-in-law  in  the  army.  The  family  con- 
sisted of  the  old  lady,  her  daughter  and  daughter-in- 
law,  three  grand  children,  and  an  adopted  child.  The 
house  was  a  one  room,  storey  and  a  half  log  cabin,  a 
one  storey  shed  for  the  loom  and  a  similar  shed  for 
kitchen  and  eating  room.  Everything  was  deliciously 
clean  and  such  a  contrast  to  the  house  we  stopped  at,  in 
that  neighborhood,  on  our  way  to  Little  Rock.  That 
one  was  an  unfinished  two  frame,  belonging  to  a 
doctor,  who  had  his  Philadelphia  diploma.  We  had 
found  him  sitting  on  his  porch,  heels  on  rails  and  smok- 
ing his  pipe,  while  his  daughters  and  grand-daughters 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  57 

were  ploughing  in  the  field,  and  one  of  them  had  to  be 
called  to  get  dinner  for  us.4 

There  was  no  system  of  communication  between  the 
different  district  headquarters ;  so  that  it  was  not  until 
we  reached  Monroe  that  we  learned  that  Grant  was 
passing  down  on  our  side,  and  investing  Vicksburg  on 
the  lower  side;  and  that  Banks  was  threatening  Alex- 
andria to  cover  his  investment  of  Port  Hudson.  We 
were  advised  not  to  take  our  boat  down  to  and  up  Red 
River,  but  as  the  waters  were  high,  to  take  an  old 
river  bed,  called  False  River,  which  would  land  us 
eight  miles  north  of  Alexandria.  A  messenger  was 
now  sent  back  to  order  Walker's  division  to  Milliken 
Bend.  When  he  did  get  there  the  Federals  were  so 
well  fortified  that  he  could  not  dislodge  them. 

At  our  first  interview  with  General  Taylor  he  had 
suggested  that  Shreveport,  being  the  geographical  cen- 
ter of  the  department,  would  be  the  most  suitable  place 
for  department  headquarters,  but  General  Smith  did 
not  seem  to  consider  the  proposal  favorably,  maybe 
through  Dr.  Smith's  influence.5  I  was  now  sent  up 
there  to  look  into  the  matter.  Within  forty-eight  hours 
after  my  return  we  were  afflicted  with  a  genuine  stam- 
pede. Banks  commenced  to  threaten  Alexandria  in 
force,  and  everything  movable  was  put  on  steamboats 
and  hurried  off  to  Shreveport.  General  Smith  had 
now  no  choice  but  to  make  his  headquarters  at  Shreve- 
port.6   We  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  obtaining  ac- 

*  On  my  return  to  Alexandria  I  found  that  General  Mason  Gra- 
ham had  taken  my  wife  and  the  children  out  to  his  plantation  on 
Bayou  Rapides,  where  they  remained,  as  his  guests,  until  the 
stampede  to  Shreveport. 

5  Reference  is  to  Dr.  Sol.  Smith,  member  of  General  Smith's  staff, 
a  native  of  Louisiana,  previously  mentioned. —  (Ed.) 

6  This  was  done  in  May,  1863. —  (Ed.) 
6 


58  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

commodations  of  any  sort,  so  much  so  as  to  give  the 
appearance  of  a  desire  to  prevent  headquarters  being 
established  there.  The  town  was  full  of  men,  some 
wearing  uniforms  and  some  not.  For  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  cause  and  also  of  providing  more 
room,  I  published  an  order  requiring  all  officers  and 
men  in  Shreveport  and  the  surrounding  country  to  re- 
port at  headquarters,  register  their  names,  rank,  and 
by  what  authority  they  were  there.  My  recollection 
is  that  in  addition  to  the  post  officers  but  two  reported. 
I  then  sent  for  the  post  commandant  and  directed  him 
to  send  a  patrol,  consisting  of  one  commissioned,  two 
non-commissioned  officers,  and  ten  privates  through 
the  streets  with  orders  to  arrest  every  man  they  met, 
whatever  his  apparent  rank  might  be,  and  require  him 
to  show  his  orders.  After  that  day  there  were  but 
few  officers  or  soldiers  to  be  seen  upon  the  streets  and 
we  soon  had  ample  accommodations. 

I  had  found  a  cousin  of  my  mother's,  George  Cal- 
houn, living  there;  on  our  arrival  he  crowded  us  into 
his  own  small  house.  A  few  days  after  I  moved  my 
family  across  the  river  to  a  Mrs.  Cane's.  Mrs.  Cane 
had  a  large  plantation,  large  house  and  a  large  number 
of  slaves.  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  call  on  her 
and  ascertain  if  she  was  willing  to  take  us  as  boarders. 
She  seemed  willing  and  fixed  her  own  terms.  She 
treated  my  wife  most  rudely  from  the  moment  we 
arrived;  had  it  not  been  dark  I  should  have  moved 
back  at  once,  and  did  next  day.  I  never  imagined  that 
a  woman  could  be  so  contemptible. 

A  desperate  character  by  the  name  of  Hope,  con- 
fined in  jail,  sent  for  me  and  offered  me  his  house  and 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  59 

servants,  upon  the  sole  condition  that  I  would  take 
care  of  them :  we  remained  there  until  he  was  released 
from  jail.  I  then  rented  a  house  three  miles  in  the 
country;  but  before  the  end  of  the  year  Mr.  Duke 
Tally  very  kindly  offered  me  the  use  of  his  house  and 
furniture  in  town.  When  Mr.  Tally  sold  his  house 
Mr.  Hunnisucker  was  equally  kind. 

When  we  had  become  acquainted  with  the  citizens 
proper,  we  found  them  hospitable,  social  and  kind. 
Our  life  there  was,  in  all  respects,  most  agreeable. 

At  Little  Rock  there  was  a  department  staff,  among 
whom  were  Colonel  Sam  Anderson,  Adjutant  General ; 
Colonel  Blair,  Chief  Commissary;  Major  Thomas  G. 
Rhett,  Chief  of  Ordnance;  and  Dr.  Hayden,  Medical 
Director.  These  officers  had  been  ordered  to  those 
duties  by  special  order  of  the  War  Department  and 
objected  to  being  placed  in  subordinate  positions  ex- 
cept by  the  same  authority.  The  position  assumed  by 
them,  interfering  with  General  Smith's  intentions  with 
reference  to  Dr.  Sol  Smith,  his  surgeon,  and  Major 
Thomas,  his  commissary,  he  created  the  Bureaus  of 
Commissariat  and  Medicine,  with  Blair  and  Hayden 
as  their  respective  heads.  Anderson  and  Rhett  were 
ordered  to  Shreveport,  one  as  Adjutant  General,  and 
the  other  as  Chief  of  Ordnance.  Colonel  Ben.  Allston 
whom  we  had  been  compelled  to  leave  in  Kentucky  on 
account  of  wounds  he  had  received  at  the  head  of  his 
brigade,  upon  being  exchanged,  finding  his  brigade 
had  been  given  to  another,  asked  for  and  re- 
ceived orders  to  join  us,  bringing  with  him  Major 
Wright  Schaumburg,  formerly  of  General  Little's  staff. 
Captain  P.  H.  Thompson  of  the  First  Louisiana  Regu- 


60  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

lars,  having  been  thrown  out  by  the  consolidation  of 
his  command,  asked  for  and  was  ordered  to  us  as  an 
assistant  adjutant  general.  And  it  was  not  very  long 
before  Generals  Huger  and  Magruder,  Colonel  Clem- 
son  of  the  nitre  and  mining  bureau,  Colonel  O'Bannon, 
quartermaster,  Major  Ducayet,  quartermaster,  Major 
Douglas,  engineer  corps,  and  Dr.  Yandel,  surgeon, 
were  ordered  to  our  headquarters  from  Richmond. 

The  working  staff  of  the  department  was  consti- 
tuted as  follows : 

Captains  Cunningham  and  Walworth,  aides-de- 
camp. Capt.  Meem,  signal  officer,  also  the  most  trusted 
aide.  Three  most  accomplished  and  unexceptional 
gentlemen  in  every  respect. 

Colonel  Belton,  assistant  adjutant  general,  thorough- 
ly competent.  His  desk  was  in  General  Smith's  pri- 
vate office  and  his  duties  for  the  most  part  confidential. 

Dr.  Sol  Smith,  surgeon  and  confidential  adviser. 
He  was  a  man  of  immense  frame  and  immense  intel- 
lect :  but  indolent  and  selfish.  He  was  undoubtedly 
very  fond  of  General  Smith  and  endeavored  to  serve 
him  to  his,  General  Smith's,  advancement  and  glory. 
But  the  Doctor  having  gotten  back  among  his  own 
people  (he  belonged  to  Alexandria)  was  influenced 
by  his  local  relations  to  such  an  extent  that  his  advice 
was  not  always  beneficial. 

Dr.  Yandel,  another  fine  specimen  of  physical  and 
mental  ability,  was  also  a  part  of  General  Smith's 
household.  He  had  no  special  duties  but  accompanied 
him  in  the  field.  It  was  concerning  him  that  Mr. 
Davis  wrote  to  General  Smith  that  he  had  not  sent 
him  to  the  department  for  promotion,  but  because  he, 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  61 

the  Doctor,  was  personally  obnoxious  to   him,   Mr. 
Davis. 

The  following  were  at  the  head  of  the  bureaus : 
Of  Ordnance,  General  Huger.  General  Huger  had 
been  a  distinguished  officer  in  the  Mexican  war,  where 
he  had  served  on  the  staff  of  General  Scott.  He  was 
the  inspector  of  Ordnance  at  foundries  when  the  diffi- 
culties began  and  it  was  as  his  assistant  that  I  was 
serving  at  Pittsburg.  Both  he  and  General  Magruder 
made  some  great  blunders  during  the  seven  days  fight 
around  Richmond  and  were  relieved  from  their  com- 
mands. General  Huger  never  again  had  a  command, 
and  I  think  General  Smith  made  a  great  mistake  when 
he  gave  Magruder  one. 

At  the  head  of  Quartermasters,  Colonel  O'Bannon. 
O'Bannon  went  to  the  Mexican  war  as  a  sergeant  in 
the  Edgefield  Company,  Palmetto  Regiment.  He  was 
promoted  into  the  regular  army  of  the  United  States 
for  distinguished  personal  courage  in  assaulting  the 
breach  at  Molino  del  Rey.  A  man  of  ability  and 
energy,  he  had  no  superior  for  the  special  duty  to 
which  he  was  assigned.  The  same  O'Bannon  whom 
Mr.  Mallory  wished  to  supply  with  a  clerk.  He  was 
scarcely  warm  in  his  seat  when  an  exempt  on  account 
of  a  civil  office  called  upon  him  and  invited  him  to  din- 
ner. After  a  short  time  the  same  person  informed 
him  that  he  had  just  received  a  barrel  of  whiskey 
and  would  be  pleased  to  fill  the  Colonel's  jug  if  he 
would  send  it  round.  O'Bannon  sent  his  jug,  at  the 
same  time  informing  his  clerk  that  "that  man  wants 
something."  On  the  morning  of  the  grand  review  he 
drove  to  O'Bannon's  office  behind  a  fine  double  team 


62  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

and  informing  O'Bannon  that  his  wife  being  ill  he 
would  be  pleased  to  give  O'Bannon  a  seat  to  the  re- 
view. As  he  turned  to  follow  him,  he  whispered  to 
his  clerk  "that  he  hadn't  a  doubt  but  that  man  wanted 
something."  It  was  not  long  before  the  same  person 
called  again.  He  informed  O'Bannon  that  the  elections 
were  about  to  take  place  and  the  indications  were 
against  his  re-election.  O'Bannon  expressed  his  re- 
grets that  so  polite  an  official  should  be  turned  out  of 
an  office  he  filled  so  hospitably.  He  then  informed 
O'Bannon  that  he  was  not  fit  for  service  in  the  field; 
O'Bannon  did  not  know  about  that,  but  thought  a  mus- 
ket would  fit  his  shoulder  beautifully.  The  end  of  it 
all  was  that  he  asked  O'Bannon  to  take  him  in  his 
office.  O'Bannon  acknowledged  having  accepted  his 
other  invitations  but  declined  this  one  with  thanks. 
The  next  morning  while  his  exemption  papers  were 
still  good  this  person  started  for  the  Rio  Grande  be- 
hind his  fine  team  and  was  not  seen  in  those  parts 
any  more  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Just  before  Banks'  raid  up  Red  River  the  cap- 
tain of  one  of  the  steamboats  called  at  O'Bannon's 
office  and  informed  him  that  he  had  been  ordered 
down  the  river  after  a  load  of  corn  but  that  his  steam- 
boat was  disabled  and  he  could  not  make  good  time, 
etc.  O'Bannon  thanked  him  for  the  information, 
saying,  "Captain,  you  gentlemen  seem  to  think  that 
whenever  we  select  your  boat  that  it  is  a  personal 
spite  or  favor  to  some  other  person.  Your  statement 
that  your  boat  is  disabled  relieves  me  from  a  very  dis- 
agreeable duty,  for  I  have  just  received  an  order  from 
General  Smith  to  select  the  least  serviceable  boat  and 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  63 

sink  it  in  the  mouth  of  Tone's  Bayou.  Since  you  tell 
me  that  your  boat  is  unserviceable  I  will  of  course 
take  it.  You  had  better  remove  the  furniture  and 
whatever  you  can,  for  I  shall  take  your  boat  down  in 
the  morning  and  sink  her."  The  captain  left  in  a 
hurry  and  started  for  the  wharf.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  blackest  kind  of  smoke  was  pouring  out  of  the 
chimneys  and  within  half  an  hour  she  had  backed  out 
into  the  stream  and  started  down  the  river.  When  she 
returned  she  was  loaded  to  the  guards  with  corn. 

During  the  fall  of  '64  and  winter  of  '64  and  '65  our 
department  became  very  much  demoralized  by  an 
order  issued  at  Richmond,  authorizing  a  limited  con- 
traband trade  in  cotton,  with  the  Federals.  This  in- 
famous authority  was  not  intended  for  our  depart- 
ment; but  much  to  the  discredit  of  some  high  in  rank, 
advantage  was  taken  of  it.  It  was  upon  one  of  the 
papers  connected  with  this  traffic,  that  I  saw  an  en- 
dorsement in  President  Lincoln's  own  hand,  over  his 
own  signature.  So  manly  and  so  decided  was  this  en- 
dorsement, that  it  rendered  the  paper  itself  and  the 
action  of  our  authorities  contemptible.  A  merchant  of 
Shreveport,  I  think  his  name  was  Jacobs,  called  on 
Colonel  O'Bannon  and  expressed  a  wish  to  take  out  a 
load  of  cotton  and  bring  back  goods.  He  showed 
O'Bannon  what  enormous  profits  there  would  be,  and 
which  he  would  divide  with  O'Bannon  if  he  would  get 
him  a  permit.  After  permitting  Mr.  Jacobs  to  com- 
mit himself  as  to  the  amount  of  money  to  be  made  on 
the  cotton,  O'Bannon  suggested  that  Mr.  Jacobs  might 
not  return.  Jacobs  offered  to  give  security  and  finally 
proposed  to  deposit  with  O'Bannon  quite  a  large  sum 


64  Military  Reminiscences  op 

of  ready  money  as  security :  or  in  plain  language  to 
pay  O'Bannon  so  much,  cash  down,  for  the  permit. 
O'Bannon  locked  the  door  leading  from  his  office,  then 
opened  the  one  to  his  clerks  and  requested  them  to 
come  in.  He  then  requested  Mr.  Jacobs  to  repeat  his 
offer.  Mr.  Jacobs  declined,  insisting  that  his  interview 
had  been  confidential.  O'Bannon  repeated  it;  then 
opening  his  outside  door  kicked  Mr.  Jacobs  out  of  the 
room  and  to  the  head  of  the  steps.7  Since  the  war, 
during  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  at  Memphis,  O'Ban- 
non stuck  to  his  post  and  worked  unceasingly  to  im- 
prove the  sanitary  condition  of  the  town.  Such  was 
the  man  at  the  head  of  our  Quartermasters  Depart- 
ment. 

Colonel  Blair,  at  the  head  of  the  Commissary  Bu- 
reau, was  a  gentlemen  of  the  old  school ;  had  acquired 
name  and  fame  in  the  United  States  Army;  and  was 
considered  to  be  the  very  best  fitted,  of  all  others,  to 
be  Commissary  General  of  the  Confederate  States 
Army. 

Dr.  Hayden,  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche,  at  the  head 
of  the  Medical  Bureau,  was  a  man  of  magnificent  phy- 
sique and  incomparable  intellect.  In  connection  with 
this  bureau  was  a  pharmaceutical  laboratory  in  charge 
of  Dr.  Smith  of  New  Orleans.  This  Dr.  Smith  was 
a  son  of  General  Percifer  F.  Smith  of  Mexican  war 
fame  and  was  a  most  accomplished  gentleman. 

At  department  headquarters  there  was  myself,  as 
chief  of  staff.  In  the  Adjutant  General's  Depart- 
ment, Colonel  Sam  Anderson,  recently  of  the  United 
States  Artillery.    He  served  through  the  Mexican  war 

'On  cotton  speculation,  see  Appendix,  Commentary  VII,  page  109. 

—  (ED.) 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  65 

and  was  breveted  for  distinguished  conduct.  A  most 
accomplished  and  competent  officer.  Major  William- 
son of  Louisiana  had  already  earned  distinction  in 
the  army  east  of  the  river.  Having  been  a  lawyer  of 
standing,  all  affairs  relating  to  courts  martial  and 
civil  rights  in  the  districts  of  Louisiana  and  Arkansas, 
were  referred  to  him.  Captain  West  occupied  a  sim- 
ilar position  with  reference  to  the  district  of  Texas. 
Captain  Pratt  had  charge  of  the  clerk's  office.  In- 
spector Generals  Colonel  Ben.  Allston  and  Major 
Wright  Schaumburg;  both  unexceptional. 

Major  Minter  had  been  especially  ordered  from 
Texas,  by  General  Smith,  to  be  his  chief  quarter- 
master, and  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  competent 
officers.  When  General  Smith  sent  him  to  Europe, 
Major  Gary  was  ordered  to  take  his  place.  He  was 
an  excellent  officer  but  was  unable  to  take  in  the  ex- 
tent of  his  duties. 

Major  Thomas  was  still  his  chief  commissary,  and 
was  considered  by  General  Smith  a  most  excellent  one. 
I  never  doubted  the  sincerity  of  his  opinion  for  he 
could  not  have  had  any  other  reason  for  placing  him 
in  so  responsible  a  position.  As  an  individual  there 
could  be  no  objection;  but  as  chief  commissary  he 
was  entirely  out  of  place ;  he  had  neither  the  education 
or  ability  to  take  in  the  work  of  the  department.  For 
example,  I  received  a  letter  from  General  Taylor  com- 
plaining, that  in  a  department  capable  of  supplying 
Europe  with  beef,  his  district  had  received  scarcely 
enough  to  supply  his  hospitals.  I  referred  this  letter 
to  Major  Thomas.  He  returned  it  covered  with  an 
endorsement,  giving  the  number  and  weight  of  the  cat- 


66  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

tie  he  had  sent  to  the  district  in  a  given  time,  and,  as 
he  said,  to  show  me  that  the  General  had  been  misin- 
formed. I  placed  the  paper  on  my  private  file  until 
the  Major,  as  I  was  sure  he  would,  should  ask  for  it. 
When  he  enquired  to  know  about  it  I  sent  him  for  his 
rosters.  From  them  it  was  easy  to  figure  how  much 
meat  was  required  for  the  hospitals.  And  it  was  not 
until  he  had  divided  the  amount  of  beef  sent  by  the 
days  for  which  it  was  sent  that  he  realized  the  justness 
of  General  Taylor's  complaint.  On  another  occasion 
a  regiment  had  been  ordered  to  build  a  road  through  a 
swamp  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  and  within,  a 
few  miles  of  headquarters.  The  Colonel  commanding 
applied  in  person  for  rations  of  whisky  as  a  prophy- 
lactic. Coffee  had  long  since  ceased  to  be  a  ration; 
but  we  had  a  good  supply  in  store  at  our  commissary 
headquarters  for  just  such  emergencies.  When  I  of- 
fered it  in  place  of  whiskey  the  Colonel  was  delighted 
with  the  prospect.  I  gave  him  a  written  order  on 
Major  Thomas  for  ten  thousand  rations  of  coffee, 
stating  in  the  order  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
issued.  After  ten  days  the  Colonel  reported  the  road 
completed  and  that  he  was  ready  to  return  to  his 
brigade.  When  I  asked  him  how  his  men  enjoyed  the 
coffee  he  informed  me  that  they  had  not  received  it 
yet.  I  invited  him  to  take  a  seat  and  sent  for  Major 
Thomas.  When  asked  for  an  explanation,  he  informed 
me  that  the  requisitions  had  not  been  returned.  When  I 
wanted  to  know  what  requisitions  and  from  whom 
they  were  to  be  returned,  it  appeared  that  he  had  had 
his  clerk  make  out  duplicate  requisitions ;  these  he  had 
sent  to  the  headquarters  of  the  district,  to  be  sent  to 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  67 

his  divisions,  thence  to  his  brigade,  thence  to  his  regi- 
ment and  finally  to  come  all  the  way  back  through  the 
same  channels  again.  I  asked  the  Major  if  he  did  not 
recognize  General  Smith's  right  to  give  him,  his  chief 
commissary,  a  special  order.  He  could  not  be  made 
to  understand  that  he  had  not  done  exactly  right. 

When  we  first  came  to  the  department  Captain 
Freret  was  our  only  engineer  officer;  afterwards  Col- 
onel Douglas,  a  splendid  specimen  of  youthful  man- 
hood, was  ordered  to  us. 

Colonel  Brown,  chief  of  artillery,  came  with  us 
from  Tennessee.  He  had  seen  service  in  the  United 
States  Army. 

Major  Rhett,  also  of  the  United  States  Army,  was 
chief  of  ordnance.  He  was  a  man  of  grand  physique, 
spirit  and  capacity.  He  could  see  no  wrong  in  one  he 
liked  and  no  good  in  one  he  disliked.  He  afterwards 
served  in  the  army  of  the  Khedive  and  died  shortly 
after  his  return  to  America.  For  an  assistant  he  had 
Captain  Green,  of  St.  Louis,  a  most  elegant  and  ac- 
complished  gentleman. 

Major  Carr,  chief  paymaster,  was  a  native  of  Louis- 
iana ;  but  had  not  been  there  since  the  beginning  of  the 
Mexican  war,  until  ordered  there  from  Richmond.  He 
was  a  whole-souled,  cultivated  gentleman.  When  in 
New  Orleans,  shortly  after  the  surrender,  a  nephew  of 
his  was  finding  fault  with  the  conduct  of  the  war:  the 
Major  asked  him  if  he  had  been  in  the  Federal  army; 
he  replied  with  some  surprise  that  he  had  not ;  he  then 
asked  him  if  he  had  been  in  the  Confederate  army  and 
upon  his  saying  that  he  had  not,  advised  him  never  to 
talk  about  the  war.    On  another  occasion,  after  listen- 


68  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

ing  patiently  to  another  after-the-war  warrior,  he  told 
him  that  he  fully  agreed  with  him  and  could  inform 
him  that  the  only  obstacle  was  the  want  of  ten  thous- 
and more  men;  and  that  from  what  he  had  seen  since 
he  arrived  he  was  satisfied  that  there  were  at  least  that 
many  able  bodied  men  lying  idle  in  New  Orleans  at 
that  time. 

Major  Ezell,  quartermaster,  had  charge  of  every- 
thing relating  to  that  department  connected  with  head- 
quarters. He  was  unexceptionable.  Doctor  Catlett 
of  St.  Joseph,  Misouri,  was  our  medical  purveyor.  He 
came  with  us  from  Tennessee  and  was  most  compe- 
tent. 

Colonel  Clemsen,  who  represented  the  Nitre  and 
Mining  Bureau,  was  an  elderly  man,  full  of  scientific 
attainments;  but  most  impracticable.  His  duties  were 
light. 

Captain  P.  H.  Thompson,  of  the  First  Louisiana 
Regulars,  acting  assistant  adjutant  general,  and  my 
brother  Robert,  I  considered  as  belonging  to  my  own 
personal  staff. 

These  were  the  gentlemen  with  whom  I  was  in  in- 
timate official  and  social  relations  for  a  little  more  than 
two  years  and  I  often  wonder  how  it  happened  that 
there  should  have  gotten  together  so  many  men  of 
such  distinguished  physical,  mental,  moral  and  social 
characteristics.  Some  of  them  had  become  obnoxious 
to  Mr.  Davis  on  account  of  their  independence  of 
character,  others  were  in  the  way,  on  account  of  their 
well  known  abilities  and  reputations,  and  the  Trans- 
Mississippi  was  a  little  out  of  the  way. 

Finding  the  communication  with  the  district  head- 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  69 

quarters  very  irregular  and  uncertain  I  determined 
to  establish  lines  of  couriers  to  them.  In  order  to 
avoid  taking  able  bodied  men  from  the  army  I  sug- 
gested to  General  Smith  that  we  enlist  six  companies 
of  boys,  between  thirteen  and  fifteen  years  of  age. 
These  boys  were  to  be  enlisted,  with  the  consent  of 
their  parents,  with  the  same  pay  and  allowances  as 
cavalrymen  and  to  be  officered  by  some  of  those  al- 
ready in  service  but  those  regiments  having  been  con- 
solidated were  unattached.  The  plan  having  been  ap- 
proved by  General  Smith,  I  sent  for  Major  Bird,  of 
Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  and  having  explained  it  to 
him  offered  him  the  command.  With  his  assistance 
the  other  officers  were  appointed,  and  the  enlistments 
begun.  We  met  with  no  opposition  and  soon  had  our 
lines  established.  It  was  arranged  that  while  three  of 
the  companies  were  on  duty  the  other  three  should  be 
in  camp  for  rest  and  instruction.  The  command  was 
well  officered  and  worked  most  satisfactorily  until  the 
end  of  the  war. 

In  the  meantime  General  Holmes  was  arranging 
for  an  attack  on  Helena,  as  a  diversion  in  favor  of 
Vicksburg.  I  presume  that  it  was  on  this  account  that 
General  Smith  had  delayed  ordering  the  Texas  troops 
to  Louisiana.  It  was  not  until  July  the  fourth  that 
General  Holmes  was  ready  and  made  this  attack  and 
on  that  day  General  Pemberton  surrendered  Vicks- 
burg. This  diversion  diverted  the  principal  purpose 
for  which  General  Smith  had  been  sent  to  the  depart- 
ment. After  this  attack  General  Holmes  crossed  the 
river  and  Major  General  Price  succeeded  to  the  com- 


70  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

mand.  That  was  the  last  of  active  operations  in  this 
district  until  the  following  spring. 

General  Dick  Taylor  was  eternally  vigilant;  he 
never  missed  an  opportunity  of  annoying  Banks,  at- 
tacking and  capturing  outposts  and  threatening  his 
communications. 

Early  in  June  my  friend  and  kinsman,  George  Cal- 
houn, came  to  inform  me  that  he  had  sold  all  his 
property  in  Shreveport  and  bought  a  plantation  on 
Red  River  and  was  about  to  take  his  family  to  South 
Carolina,  from  whence  he  proposed  to  bring  back  ne- 
groes to  work  his  plantation.  Finding  that  he  was  in 
earnest  I  took  him  into  a  private  office,  where  I  told 
him  that  if  he  intended  to  take  his  family  across  the 
river  he  had  no  time  to  lose,  for  it  was  my  private 
judgment,  never  before  expressed  to  anyone  and  not 
to  be  repeated  by  him,  that  Vicksburg  would  soon  be 
in  the  hands  of  the  Federals.  He  turned  ashy.  I 
went  further  and  asked  him  if  he  supposed  he  would 
ever  work  a  slave  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He  re- 
plied that  if  he  could  not  in  this  country  he  would  go 
to  one  in  which  he  could.  I  advised,  that  if  such 
were  his  feelings,  not  to  go  to  Carolina  at  all;  but  to 
dispose  of  what  he  had  and  set  out  at  once  to  seek 
his  new  country.  I  learned  afterwards  that  he  went 
home  and  told  his  wife  that  I  was  a  Yankee.  He  took 
my  advice,  however,  and  set  out  as  soon  as  he  could 
and  had  so  little  time  to  spare  that  as  he  went  out  of 
Jackson  on  the  east,  General  Grant's  army  was  coming 
in  on  the  west.  He  returned  to  his  plantation  that 
fall  but  left  his  negroes  in  Carolina. 

In  September,  a  fleet  of  transports,  escorted  by  gun 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  71 

boats,  appeared  off  Sabine  Pass.  A  few  fortunate 
shots  from  our  little  battery  disabled  two  gun  boats 
and  they  were  abandoned.  The  fleet  then  returned  to 
New  Orleans  without  making  an  effort  to  land.  We 
learned  afterwards  that  it  contained  General  Frank- 
lin's army  corps.  Had  he  landed  and  established  him- 
self in  the  Sabine  Valley,  we  would  have  been  so  com- 
pletely flanked  as  to  have  prevented  us  from  meeting 
and  defeating  General  Banks  the  following  spring. 
Upon  hearing  of  the  capture  of  the  boats  General  Mag- 
ruder  made  haste  to  go  from  Houston  to  the  pass  and 
date  his  despatches  from  on  board  one  of  the  cap- 
tured boats.  Our  force  at  the  pass  was,  I  think, 
twenty-one  men,  all  told. 

Shortly  after  this  event  General  Smith  sent  me 
down  below  Alexandria  to  see  if  it  were  possible  to 
fortify  or  obstruct  Red  River.  I  invited  Major  Carr 
to  accompany  me.  He  was  a  native  of  IsTatchitoches 
and  had  not  visited  it  for  many  years.  Judge  Boyce, 
of  Bayou  Rapides,  was  on  a  business  trip  to  Shreve- 
port  at  the  time.  I  invited  him  to  take  a  seat  with  us, 
letting  his  own  wagons  go  on  without  him.  The  Judge 
was  one  of  those  who  think  that  you  cannot  make  a 
good  day's  journey  without  waking  men  and  animals 
long  enough  before  day  to  have  everything  ready  to 
start  just  as  soon  as  there  is  light  enough  to  see.  I 
being  of  a  contrary  opinion,  his  wagon  would  start 
on  his  time  and  mine  two  hours  later.  Every  day  we 
would  pass  his  team  and  get  to  our  stopping  place  an 
hour  before  it.  The  Judge  insisted  that  it  was  the 
team  and  not  the  principle  that  caused  it.  At  Alex- 
andria I  took  a  steamboat  for  the  lower  river  and  to 


72  Military  Reminiscences  of 

avoid  attention  and  comment  started  before  day.  Doc- 
tor Egan,  an  elegant  Irish  gentleman,  hearing  me 
moving  about  the  room,  inquired  the  cause  of  my  early 
rising.  To  keep  off  miasma,  he  prescribed  a  dram  of 
juniper  gin  of  his  own  distilling.  I  examined  the  river 
as  far  as  the  Black  to  find  that  General  Taylor  had 
already  made  the  very  best  possible  disposition  of  the 
means  at  our  disposal.  While  returning  I  happened 
to  hum  the  following: 

"As  I  was  going  to  the  fair,  the  choice  of  all  true  hearted 

swains, 
Miss  Kitty  she  promised,  she  would  be  there,  so  I  staid  the 

last  of  all  the  peoples. 
Perhaps  some  pretty  thing  catch  her  eye,  some  ginger  bread 

or  apple  pie. 
I  runned  as  fast  as  I  could  t'get  it,  for  what  in  the  devil  did 

I  care  for  a  tuppence. 
With  scorn  she  now  hears  me  complain,  nor  will  she  look  at 

me  at  all. 
She  loves  John  Peter  Michael  better  as  I,  because  he  has  got 

a  couple  of  dollars  more  as  me." 

The  captain  of  the  boat  informed  me  that  he  had 
not  heard  that  ditty  for  many  years  and  then  it  was 
sung  by  a  friend  of  his  in  California.  Upon  compar- 
ing notes  his  friend  turned  out  to  be  my  uncle,  Wil- 
liam Alexander  Robertson.  Uncle  Aleck  went  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1849,  sailing  round  Cape  Horn.  He  came 
back  in  the  winter  of  '56  for  his  family :  but  met  with 
so  much  opposition,  that  he  finally  settled  in  Augusta, 
Ga.,  where  he  died  the  same  year  with  yellow  fever. 
The  Captain  told  me  when  he  left,  he  was  judge  of 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  73 

the  county  court  of  Shasta  County  and  if  he  had 
returned  they  had  intended  making  him  Governor  and 
afterwards  Senator.  He  also  informed  me  that  his 
portrait  hung  in  one  of  the  public  halls  at  Yreka. 


CHAPTER  V 

Last  Days  of  the  Confederacy — Interview  with 
General  Smith — The  Banks-Taylor  Campaign 
— Resignation  as  Chiee  of  Staff — The  Sur- 
render. 

During  the  winter  of  '63  and  '64  it  seemed  almost  a 
certainty  that  the  Federals  intended  to  make  a  de- 
termined effort  to  drive  us  out  of  Arkansas  and  Louis- 
iana. I  was  so  satisfied  of  this  that  I  had  the  roads 
leading  from  Arkansas  and  Texas  towards  Shreve- 
port,  Mansfield,  and  Natchitoches  put  in  order.  I  also 
directed  Major  Thomas  to  establish  supply  deposits  at 
certain  points  on  these  roads  and  keep  them  well  sup- 
plied. With  the  exception  of  some  of  those  ordered 
in  Texas  my  orders  were  carried  out. 

General  Smith  went  to  Texas  for  the  purpose  of  a 
personal  interview  with  Magruder  with  reference  to 
the  approaching  campaign.  In  that  interview  Mag- 
ruder  induced  him  to  suspend  my  orders  in  his  district. 
When  I  heard  of  it  I  did  my  best  to  repair  the  mis- 
chief. 

One  morning  finding  General  Smith  and  several 
members  of  the  staff  in  high  glee  I  inquired  the  cause. 
I  was  informed  that  it  was  occasioned  by  the  fact  Gen- 
eral Joseph  E.  Johnston  had  been  ordered  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  in  upper  Georgia.  I  told  them  that 
I  hoped  that  their  expectations  might  be  realized;  but 
if  I  were  to  judge  by  his  campaign  on  the  peninsula 
or  in  Mississippi,  we  would  soon  hear  of  him  at  At- 
lanta and  if  not  relieved,  in  the  everglades  of  Florida. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  75 

General  Johnston's  strategy  seemed  to  be  in  permitting 
the  enemy  to  keep  him  amused  at  one  of  his  stragetic 
points  while  they  quietly  turned  both  flanks  and  com- 
pelled him  to  fall  back  to  the  next  one.1 

My  preparations  were  none  too  soon,  for  early  in 
the  spring  General  Banks  advanced  from  New  Orleans 
with  an  army  estimated  between  forty  and  fifty  thou- 
sand men,  flanked  by  a  fleet  of  gun  boats  under  the 
command  of  Admiral  Porter,  while  General  Steele 
came  down  from  the  north  with  an  army  of  over  twelve 
thousand.  After  some  correspondence,  General  Tay- 
lor came  to  Shreveport  and,  in  a  personal  interview, 
the  plan  of  campaign  was  decided  upon.  It  was  agreed 
that  in  consideration  of  General  Banks'  want  of  repu- 
tation as  a  commander,  to  concentrate  and  fight  him 
first,  although  his  army  was  supposed  to  be  nearly 
four  times  as  large  as  General  William  Steele's. 

With  this  understanding  General  Taylor  hurried 
back  to  his  command  and  devoted  his  attention  to  com- 
pelling Banks  to  advance  slowly. 

General  Price,  commanding  the  district  of  Arkansas, 
was  ordered  to  send  all  his  infantry  and  artillery  to 
Shreveport;  but  retaining  his  cavalry  to  harass  Steele 
and  keep  him  in  check.  All  available  troops  from 
Texas  were  ordered  to  move  by  the  shortest  routes 
towards  Natchitoches  and  Mansfield. 

As  the  troops  began  to  arrive  from  Arkansas  Doctor 
Sol  Smith  also  arrived  from  Alexandria,  and  now 
began  a  change  of  movement,  which  I  have  always 
held  him  responsible  for.  The  Arkansas  troops  were 
halted  at  Shreveport  and  detained  there,  ostensibly  to 

1  This  was  written  before  I  had  heard  of  General  Beauregard's 
command  in  the  hattle  of  Bull  Run. 


76  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

be  equipped.  The  animus  of  change  was  that  Dr. 
Smith  disliked  General  Taylor  as  much  as  he  liked 
General  Smith.  Taylor  was  to  harass  Banks  up  to  the 
last  moment  and  then  General  Smith  was  to  move 
down  with  additional  troops,  take  command,  and  carry 
off  the  glory  of  the  pitched  battle.  In  the  meantime 
we,  at  department  headquarters,  were  having  reviews, 
balls  and  a  gay  time  generally. 

On  the  morning  of  the  battle  of  Mansfield,  April 
8th,  1864,  a  dispatch  came  from  General  Taylor,  which 
to  me  was  unmistakable.  He  informed  General  Smith 
that  he  had  been  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  all  day, 
he  complained  bitterly  at  the  detention  of  the  troops 
that  had  been  promised  him,  and  had  he  anticipated  it 
he  would  have  first  fought  at  least  one  battle  for 
Louisiana  without  them.  This  last  I  construed  to 
mean  that  he  intended  to  fight  that  day.  I  took  the 
dispatch  in  to  General  Smith  and  told  him  what  I 
thought.  He  said  no,  that  Taylor  did  not  have  troops 
enough  to  fight.  Orders  were  issued  at  once  for  all 
troops  to  move  towards  Mansfield,  but  to  halt  and 
await  further  orders  at  Keachi.  Headquarter  trans- 
portation was  gotten  ready  and  those  officers  who  were 
to  accompany  General  Smith  in  the  field,  myself  among 
the  number,  were  to  be  ready  for  an  early  start  next 
day.  So  sure  was  I  that  the  battle  would  be  fought 
that  day,  and  so  uneasy  about  the  result,  that  I  made 
arrangements  to  move  my  wife  and  the  children  into 
Texas,  upon  the  first  intimation  of  disaster.  General 
Smith  had  sent  his  family  off  some  time  before.  A 
little  after  midnight  I  was  called  by  a  courier  with  dis- 
patches   from    General   Taylor,   stating   that   he   had 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  77 

fought  Banks,  defeated  him,  captured  many  prisoners, 
artillery  and  wagons  and  that  Banks  was  in  full  re- 
treat. I  sent  the  courier  to  General  Smith's  quarters 
and  followed  soon  as  possible  myself.  I  found  General 
Smith  of  the  opinion  that  Taylor  had  engaged  only 
the  advance  guard  and  the  battle  was  still  to  be  fought 
this  side  of  Mansfield.  He  told  me  that  he  should 
start  at  once  with  his  aides-de-camp  and  that  I  must 
follow  in  the  morning  with  the  rest  of  the  staff.  With 
the  coming  light  there  was  great  excitement  and  I  was 
soon  on  the  road  with  the  body  of  the  staff.  Some  of 
them  got  very  excited  and  wished  to  proceed  at  a  gal- 
lop. I  finally  told  Allston  and  Williamson  that  they 
could  go  on  faster  if  they  wished  to.  Shortly  after 
they  left  I  received  a  message  from  General  Smith 
directing  me  to  halt  the  staff  wherever  the  messenger 
should  find  me  and  await  further  orders.  When  Gen- 
eral Smith  reached  Mansfield  he  found  only  the 
wounded  and  prisoners  with  their  guards  and  nurses. 
General  Taylor  had  followed  Banks  and  was  again 
fighting  him  at  Pleasant  Hill. 

The  morning  after  the  battle,  General  Taylor  re- 
turned to  Mansfield  for  an  interview  with  General 
Smith;  he  wished  to  retain  the  additional  troops  and 
push  Banks,  whom  he  believed  to  be  thoroughly  de- 
moralized and  could  be  destroyed.  General  Steele  being 
within  ninety  miles  of  Shreveport,  General  Smith  was 
fearful  that  if  the  entire  army  continued  to  follow 
Banks,  Steele  might  easily  reach  Shreveport  and  then 
come  down  in  our  rear,  so  he  ordered  all  the  Arkansas 
and  Texas  troops  to  return  to  Arkansas,  leaving  Gen- 
eral Taylor  his  original  command  only. 


78  Military  Reminiscences  of 

I  was  sent  on  to  Magnolia,  Arkansas,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  rapid  communication  with  General 
Price.  I  remained  there  until  the  army  was  concen- 
trated in  the  neighborhood  of  Camden.  The  day  after 
rejoining  the  army,  I  rode  with  General  Smith  to  Gen- 
eral Price's  headquarters,  in  front  General  Price  was 
still  commanding  all  the  cavalry  that  had  been  left  in 
Arkansas.  From  this  interview,  General  Fagan  was 
given  a  division  of  cavalry  and  directed  to  proceed  to 
Little  Rock  and  to  destroy  all  supplies  he  might  find 
there,  then  to  Pine  Bluff  and  do  the  same  thing.  He 
was  to  move  rapidly  and  stop  for  nothing.  He  was 
informed  of  the  importance  attached  to  his  move- 
ments and  promised  promotion  if  successful.  Unfor- 
tunately on  the  second  day  out  he  ran  across  a  return 
train  with  a  number  of  convalescents  and  some  plunder 
which  he  decided  to  secure.  The  time  required  for 
this  prevented  the  surprise  of  Little  Rock  and  destroy- 
ed the  only  object  for  which  he  had  been  sent. 

The  return  of  Fagan's  command  rendered  further 
delay  in  bringing  Steele  to  battle  useless  and  arrange- 
ments for  so  doing  were  being  made,  when  a  deserter 
from  our  army  having  informed  Steele  of  Banks'  dis- 
aster, he  stole  away  quietly  one  night  and  retreated 
toward  Little  Rock. 

General  Smith  had  a  long  conversation  with  me 
about  following  Steele.  He  knew  that  he  ought  not  to 
fight  except  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
and  if  he  followed  at  all  he  must  follow  rapidly,  thus 
giving  Steele  the  advantage  of  selecting  his  own 
ground  to  receive  him  and  to  force  a  fight  that  he 
wished  to  avoid.     He  also  ought  to  have  known  that 


G£n.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  79 

his  army  should  have  been  pushed  across  country  to- 
ward Alexandria. 

I  was  left  at  Camden  to  facilitate  the  movement  of 
the  troops. 

After  crossing  the  Saline  River  at  Jenkin's  ferry, 
General  Steele  formed  line  of  battle  and  waited  for 
General  Smith.  The  battle  was  simply  sharpshooting 
from  different  sides  of  the  river.  Our  troops  were 
severely  punished !  In  the  Texas  command  Generals 
Scurry  and  Randle,  two  of  our  best  officers,  were  killed 
and  General  Wall  wounded.  From  the  Federal  ac- 
counts, they  also  suffered  severely.  If  Steele's  object 
was  to  prevent  Smith  from  following  him,  or  return- 
ing to  the  aid  of  Taylor  in  the  destruction  of  Banks, 
he  was  successful.  General  Steele  continued  his  march 
to  Little  Rock  unmolested  and  General  Smith  and 
staff  returned  to  Shreveport. 

General  Taylor  continued  an  active  campaign 
against  General  Banks  until  he  was  relieved  from  duty 
in  our  department  and  ordered  across  to  command  the 
department  of  Mississippi.  He  captured  many  pris- 
oners and  stands  of  colors :  among  the  latter  a  most 
beautiful  flag  manufactured  by  Ball,  Black  &  Co.,  for 
one  of  the  favorite  New  York  regiments.  There  was  a 
quartermaster  in  our  service,  who  was  almost  too  suc- 
cessful in  crossing  the  river  back  and  forth  between 
us  and  Richmond.  On  the  last  trip  he  made  he  brought 
back  an  order  from  the  war  department  for  us  to  send 
all  captured  flags  to  Richmond.  To  me  it  was  a  singu- 
lar order,  and  as  it  did  not  specify  by  whom,  I  tried 
to  persuade  General  Smith  not  to  send  them  or  if  he 
did  to  select  some  one  connected  with  his  staff,  and 


80  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

send  them  by  him  unknown  to  anyone.  Not  succeed- 
ing I  took  the  responsibility  of  retaining  the  regi- 
mental flags  and  sending  only  the  national  ones  and 
these  I  took  precaution  to  do  up  in  such  a  manner  as 
not  to  be  conveniently  opened  and  examined.  Our 
messenger  and  his  flags  were  captured  at  the  river.  I 
got  Miss  Eliza  Dean  to  take  care  of  the  handsome  flag; 
she  afterwards  claimed  that  General  Taylor  had  given 
her  permission  to  keep  it. 

Towards  the  fall  of  the  year  Governor  Reynolds, 
the  Confederate  Governor  of  Missouri,  and  General 
Price  requested  and  were  permitted  to  make  a  demon- 
stration into  Missouri.  They  seemed  to  think  that  the 
people  had  suffered  so  severely  at  the  hands  of  the 
Federals,  that  upon  their  appearance  with  an  army  a 
sufficient  number  of  able  bodied  men  would  join  them 
to  enable  them  to  regain  possession  of  the  State.  They 
got  within  sight  of  the  Indian  Territory.  There  came 
out  with  this  command  a  splendid  company  of  mount- 
ed men  commanded  by  a  Captain  Lee.  General  Price 
asked  that  they  be  dismounted  and  sent  to  fill  up  his 
infantry  regiments.  Lee  objected.  Finally  General 
Smith  ordered  Lee  to  report  with  his  command  to  Gen- 
eral Price.  He  started  with  his  command  in  the  di- 
rection of  Arkansas,  but  soon  turned  to  the  right  and 
went  into  swamps  opposite  Vicksburg  where  he  was  a 
terror  to  contraband  traders  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
When  General  Price  went  into  Missouri  Magruder 
was  ordered  to  the  command  of  Arkansas  and  George 
Walker  to  Texas.  The  style  of  living  in  Arkansas  was 
not  in  accord  with  Magruder's  taste  and  in  a  very 
short  time  he  was  at  department  headquarters   and 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  81 

closeted  with  General  Smith.  At  the  end  of  the  inter- 
view General  Smith  directed  that  an  order  be  issued 
ordering  Magruder  back  to  the  command  of  the  dis- 
trict of  Texas.  The  peculiar  feature  of  this  order  was 
that  Magruder  was  not  to  return  to  be  relieved  but  was 
to  proceed  at  once  to  Texas  with  the  order  in  his 
pocket  and  I  was  not  permitted  to  notify  Walker  either 
by  telegraph  or  otherwise. 

General  Buckner  was  ordered  from  Richmond  to 
the  command  of  the  district  of  Louisiana. 

In  the  spring  of  '65  General  Mason  Graham  of 
Bayou  Rapides  came  to  my  office,  and  after  waiting 
some  time  to  catch  me  at  leisure,  wrote  on  a  scrap  of 
paper,  "Do  you  know  that  General  Smith  is  seeking 
to  have  you  removed  as  chief  of  staff?"  I  at  once  in- 
vited General  Graham  into  a  private  place,  where  I 
informed  him  that  I  had  not  the  slightest  intimation 
of  it  by  word,  act  or  deed.  He  informed  me  that  there 
was  not  the  slightest  doubt  about  it,  that  his  informa- 
tion came  from  Richmond  and  that  my  removal  had 
been  opposed  by  representatives  from  Louisiana  and 
Texas. 

I  returned  to  my  office,  gathered  up  all  the  papers 
and  took  them  to  Colonel  Anderson;  informing  Cap- 
tain Thompson  that  I  would  not  return  until  I  had 
an  interview  with  General  Smith. 

For  the  next  -  three  days  General  Smith  did  not 
come  to  his  office.  On  the  fourth  day  I  went  to  his 
residence  and  asked  a  private  interview. 

General  Smith  made  the  interview  a  very  painful 
one ;  he  exhibited  and  expressed  a  great  deal  of  feeling. 
He  stated  that  he  had,  at  some  time  past,  applied  to 


82  Military  Reminiscences  of 

have  Doctor  Sol  Smith  appointed  his  chief  of  staff 
and  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General;  but  that  Mr. 
Davis  had  refused.  Among .  other  things  he  stated 
that  I  knew  he  always  wanted  Doctor  Smith  for  his 
chief  of  staff.  That  I  denied,  and  assured  him  that 
had  I  been  aware  of  it,  or  that  he  was  in  any  way  dis- 
satisfied with  the  manner  in  which  I  had  administered 
my  office,  I  should,  most  certainly,  have  asked  to  be  re- 
lieved as  I  then  did.  He  assured  me  that  it  had  been  a 
long  past  action,  and  as  he  could  not  have  Doctor 
Smith,  he  preferred  me  to  all  others.  The  interview 
lasted  a  long  time  and  ended  in  my  consenting  to  go 
back  to  the  office  and  resuming  duty  as  chief  of  staff. 
Not  very  long  after  that  interview  the  Colonel  of 
an  Arkansas  regiment  came  to  my  office  and  asked  me 
if  I  would  object  to  letting  him  have  a  copy  of  a  letter, 
written  by  General  Smith,  recommending  his  promo- 
tion. I  had  heard  nothing  of  such  a  letter  and  knew 
of  no  reason  for  it;  nevertheless  I  instituted  enquiries 
among  the  officers  and  clerks,  but  could  not  find  that 
such  a  letter  had  been  sent.  He  seemed  so  positive 
about  it,  that  I  suggested  he  interview  General  Smith. 
He  hesitated  and  asked  me  to  do  so.  At  first  General 
Smith  could  not  or  would  not  recall  it;  finally  he  took 
a  small  book,  with  a  bright  red  cover,  from  his  desk, 
remarking  it  must  be  among  some  memoranda  he  had 
given  in  person  to  Senator  Johnson  of  Arkansas,  and 
commenced  to  examine  the  book.  As  the  book  was 
new  and  contained  but  little,  he  soon  found  it  and 
handed  it  to  me  to  read.  It  was  more  of  a  memoran- 
dum than  a  letter  and  was  for  the  guidance  of  Senator 
Johnson,  with  reference  to  General   Smith's  wishes, 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  83 

when  he  reached  Richmond.  Among  other  things,  he 
was  to  urge  the  change  he  desired  to  make  at  the  head 
of  his  staff.  I  handed  the  book  to  General  Smith,  re- 
marking that  after  reading  the  letter  I  could  not  think 
of  remaining  in  his  way,  and  requested  him  to  order 
me  to  Richmond.  He  asked  me  to  remain  on  duty 
until  he  could  send  for  Slaughter  to  take  my  place.  I 
declined  to  be  considered  a  member  of  his  staff  on 
any  conditions.  A  few  days  after,  General  Smith,  find- 
ing that  he  needed  rest,  sent  for  General  Buckner  to 
take  temporary  command  of  the  department.  On 
taking  command  General  Buckner  sent  for  me  and  gave 
me  some  orders  as  chief  of  staff,  and  I  had  in  General 
Smith's  presence  to  explain  my  position  and  desire  to 
be  ordered  to  Richmond.  Instead  I  was  ordered  to 
take  command  of  the  district  of  Louisiana. 

I  have  never  been  able  to  understand  General  Smith's 
actions  in  this  matter.  I  was  appointed  the  chief  of 
staff  at  his  own  request,  and  at  a  time  most  favorable 
for  him  to  have  Doctor  Smith  appointed.  I  am  not 
aware  that  he  was  required  to  take  me  with  him  when 
he  crossed  the  Mississippi  River:  but  supposing  he 
had  been,  when  General  Taylor  asked  to  have  me  or- 
dered to  him  for  the  express  purpose  of  placing  me  in 
command  opposite  Vicksburg,  he  had  an  opportunity 
of  relieving  me  from  the  staff  in  a  most  compliment- 
ary manner,  and  under  circumstances  to  which  no  pos- 
sible exception  could  have  been  taken  in  Richmond. 
Again  if  General  Smith  was  so  anxious  for  the  Doc- 
tor's advice  and  counsel,  why  did  he  take  me  into  the 
field  with  him,  leaving  the  Doctor  at  home  ?  Why  was 
it  that  he  always  delegated  to  me  every  delicate  or 


84  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

dangerous  duty?  Finally  General  Smith  knew  that 
there  was  no  power  that  could  compel  Doctor  Smith 
•to  attend  to  office  work  or  routine  duty. 

I  went  to  Natchitoches  and  assumed  command  of  the 
district;  but  my  command  was  short  lived,  for,  upon 
the  surrender  of  General  Lee,  General  Harry  Hayes, 
who  had  been  sent  to  our  department  to  gather  up 
the  absentees  from  his  command  in  General  Lee's 
army,  went  to  Shreveport  and  asked  to  be  assigned  to 
duty.  Being  a  Louisiana  officer,  he  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  district,  and  I  returned  to  Shreve- 
port. 

I  found  General  Smith  still  there,  he  had  not  yet 
taken  his  intended  absence  nor  had  he  resumed  the 
command:  but  he  had  sent  his  family  through  the 
lines.  I  found  an  expedition  being  organized  to  go  to 
Mexico  and  enrolled  my  name;  but  when  I  found  it 
was  to  go  to  Maximillian,  and  not  Juarez,  I  withdrew 
and  determined  to  await  the  end  at  Shreveport. 

One  day  Major  Ezell  informed  me,  confidentially, 
that  General  Smith  was  having  relays  put  on  the 
road  towards  Mexico  and  that  he,  Major  Ezell,  be- 
lieved that  the  General  was  going  to  run  away.  Gen- 
eral Smith  had  but  started  upon  his  supposed  recrea- 
tion trip,  before  it  was  believed  that  he  had  gone  for 
good.2  General  Buckner  proceeded  at  once  to  New 
Orleans,  and  having  agreed  with  General  Canby  upon 
the  terms  of  surrender,  a  swift  steamer  was  sent  to 

2  It  is  true  that  General  Smith  had  intended  to  go  to  Mexico 
in  case  of  the  collapse  of  the  Confederacy.  However,  the  "recre- 
ation trip"  here  referred  to  was  the  transfer  of  headquarters  to 
Houston,  Texas.  Arrived  at  Houston,  he  found  that  the  Texas 
troops  had  disbanded.  He  then  formally  approved  such  a  course, 
and  started  for  Mexico  via  Galveston.  See  Noll,  General  Kirby 
Smith,  pp.  250-262. —  (Ed.) 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  85 

Galveston  to  intercept  General  Smith  and  have  him 
sign  the  articles.  General  Buckner  never  explained  why- 
he  sent  the  articles  to  Smith  to  sign :  but  after  signing 
them  Smith  continued  his  flight  to  Mexico. 

Until  the  arrival  of  the  Federals  there  was  no  law 
of  any  kind.  All  things  considered  our  soldiers  be- 
haved remarkably  well:  but  it  was  a  time  of  intense 
anxiety.  Night  after  night  the  headquarter  clerks 
sat  up  at  my  residence  with  loaded  arms  of  various 
kinds  close  at  hand.  Colonel  Allston  had  been  turned 
out  of  his  house  with  a  dying  child,  because  he  had 
neither  gold  nor  greenbacks.  I  took  them  into  my 
already  crowded  house  and  it  was  there  his  child  died. 
The  funeral  procession  was  moving  when  the  first 
Federal  transport  arrived. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Brigadier  General  George  L. 
Andrews,  Provost-Marshall  General  of  the  United 
States  Army,  I  was,  once  more,  ordered  on  duty  as 
commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  Confederate  States 
to  act  with  him  in  paroling  the  officers  of  the  Con- 
federate army.  This  was  probably  the  last  authorita- 
tive order  issued  in  connection  with  the  Confederate 
States  Army. 

From  the  following,  which  is  a  copy  of  my  own 
parole,  it  appears  that  we  paroled  five  hundred  and 
eighty  officers: 

No.  581. 

I,  the  undersigned,  Prisoner  of  war,  belonging  to  the 
Army  of  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department,  having  been 
surrendered  by  General  E.  Kirby  Smith,  C.  S.  A.,  command- 
ing said  Department,  to  Major  General  E.  R.  S.  Canby,  U.  S. 
A.,  Commanding  Army  and  Division  of  West  Mississippi,  do 


86  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

hereby  give  my  solemn  PAROLE  OF  HONOR,  that  I  will 
not  hereafter  serve  in  the  Armies  of  the  Confederate  States, 
or  in  any  military  capacity  whatever,  against  the  United 
States  of  America,  or  render  aid  to  the  enemies  of  the  latter, 
until  properly  exchanged  in  such  manner  as  shall  be  mutually 
approved  by  the  respective  authorities. 
Residence  New  Orleans 

(signed)  W.  R.  BOGGS, 

Brig.  Gen.  P.  A.  C.  S. 
Done  at  Shreveport,  La.,  this  9th  day  of  June,  1865. 
(signed)  W.  R.  BOGGS, 

Brig.  Gen.  C.  S.  A. 

Commissioners. 

Approved : 

(signed)  G.  L.  ANDREWS, 

Brig.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 
The    above    named    officer    will    not    be    disturbed    by    the 
United  States  authorities,  as  long  as  he  observes  his  parole, 
and  the  laws  in  force  where  he  resides. 

(signed)  GEO.  L.  ANDREWS, 
Brig.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.,  and  Provost  Marshall  General. 

The  Federal  Commander  very  kindly  placed  the 
steamboat  Ida  May  at  the  disposal  of  General  Buckner 
for  the  transportation  of  himself  and  officers  to  New- 
Orleans. 

In  1872,  seven  years  after,  my  disabilities  were  re- 
moved by  a  special  act  of  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 


APPENDIX 


COMMENTARIES* 


These  commentaries  are  written  at  the  request  of 
my  son,  who,  having  asked  me  "Why  I  preferred 
serving  on  Bragg's  staff  to  Beauregard's?"  and  being 
informed  by  me  that  I  had  not,  called  my  attention  to 
the  official  documents  of  the  war  published  by  the 
government  and  asked  me  to  look  over  the  same  and 
make  such  explanation  or  comments  upon  so  much  of 
them  as  related  to  my  own  personal  knowledge. 

I.    ORDERED  TO  CHARLESTON  AND 

PENSACOLA 

Headquarters  Provisional  Army  Confederate;  States. 

Charleston,  S.  C,  March  n,  1861. 
Hon'l  L.  P.  Walker, 

Secretary  of  War, 

Montgomery,  Ala. 
Sir:— 

With  good  assistants  (chiefs  of  Engineers  and  Ordnance) 
this  could  probably  be  done  in  about  eight  or  ten  days;  but 
Major  Whiting  and  Captain  Boggs  (two  most  reliable  and 
efficient  officer)  have  been  recalled  to  Savannah  by  the  Gover- 
nor of  Georgia,  and  I  am  again  left  to  my  own  resources. 

I  find  a  great  deal  of  zeal  and  energy  around  me,  but  little 
professional  knowledge  and  experience. 

Probably  Captain  G.  W.  Smith,  of  New  York,  and  Captain 
Gorgas  might  be  induced  to  come,  if  a  positive  rank  could  be 
offered  them. 

G.  T.  Beauregard. 
Brigadier-General,  Commanding.1 

*  The  Commentaries  were  written  in  1896,  several  years  after 
the   Reminiscences . —  (  Ed.  ) 

1  Official  Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  I,  Vol.  1,  p.  274. 

8 


90  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

TELEGRAM 

Montgomery,  April  g,  1861. 
,  General  Braxton  Bragg, 
Pensacola. 
Captain  Boggs  left  here  this  morning  to  join  you.     Forty 
thousand  dollars  are  at  your  disposal,  to  be  used  in  the  way 
he  suggested  to  me  as  coming  from  you.     Although  he  has 
no  instructions  on  that  point,  as  it  escaped  me  in  the  hurry 
of  his  departure,  you  will,  however,  understand. 

L.  P.  Walker. 


TELEGRAM 

BarnacaSj  April   12,   1861 
L.  P.  Walker : 

Mr.  Worden  had  communicated  with  fleet  before  your  dis- 
patch received.  Alarm  guns  have  just  fired^at  Fort  Pickens. 
I  fear  the  news  is  received  and  it  will  be  reinforced  before 
morning.  It  cannot  be  prevented.  Mr.  Worden  got  off  in 
the  cars  before  I  knew  of  his  landing.  Major  Chambers  is  in 
the  cars.  He  will  watch  Mr.  Worden's  movements.  If  you 
deem  it  advisable,  Mr.  Worden  can  be  stopped  in  Montgomery. 

Braxton  Bragg, 

Brigadier-General" 


All  of  the  above  are  more  or  less  associated  with 
happening  to  have  served  with  Bragg  and  not  Beaure- 
gard. My  preference  would  have  been  Beauregard, 
although  my  remaining  with  Bragg  was  my  own 
choice,  and  solely  on  account  of  my  surroundings. 

Going  to  Savannah  at  the  time  mentioned  in  Beau- 
regard's letter,  I  was  soon  after  telegramed  to  come  at 
once  to  Montgomery.  Bartow,  the  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  was  in  Savannah  at 
that  time.  He  urging  and  Governor  Brown  consenting, 
I  went  to  Montgomery.     I  was  at  once  appointed  a 

2IUd,  p.  280. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  91 

Captain  of  Engineers  and  assigned  to  the  duty  of 
organizing  the  Ordnance  Department.  I  soon  became 
heart-sick,  disgusted  and  weary  with  the  apathy  and 
imbecility  of  the  whole  Confederate  Government,  and 
would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  have  come  to  Beaure- 
gard, had  I  known  he  wanted  me,  but  I  never  heard  of 
the  request,  until  now,  thirty-five  years  after.  The 
whole  business  of  some  of  the  Cabinet  seemed  to  be 
to  provide  places  for  their  friends ;  and  all  of  them,  in- 
cluding the  President,  seemed  to  think  we  should  soon 
have  a  social  committee  visiting  us  to  beg  us  to  return 
to  the  Union  upon  any  terms  we  should  be  pleased  to 
dictate.  While  so  loafing,  I  obtained  permission  to 
make  a  tour  of  inspection  to  the  different  Forts  and 
Arsenals  on  the  Gulf.  After  a  while  I  was  told  that 
Col.  Gorgas  was  coming  South  and  would  be  chief  of 
Ordnance  (see  Beauregard's  suggestion  in  his  letter 
of  March  11). 

I  went  to  Bragg  on  April  9th';  for  the  details  of  my 
going  I  refer  you  to  my  Reminiscences :  as  well  as 
for  the  part  played  by  Mr.  Davis  with  reference  to 
Lieutenant  Worden,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  he  having  been 
permitted  to  carry  his  dispatches  to  the  fleet  off  Pensa- 
cola  by  Mr.  Davis'  express  written  order.3 

Having  no  desire  to  return  to  Montgomery,  to  wait 
and  loaf  upon  Gorgas'  movements,  when  General 
Bragg  expressed  a  wish  that  I  might  remain  with  him, 
I  suggested  that  my  orders  were  so  indefinite  that  I 


3 1  find,  upon  reading  Lieutenant  Worden's  statement  of  his 
visit  to  the  fleet  off  Pensacola,  that  General  Bragg  was  misin- 
formed as  to  Mr.  Davis  having  authorized  that  visit.  It  appears 
from  that  statement  that  Worden  did  not  stop  in  Montgomery,  but 
went  straight  through  from  Washington  to  Pensacola,  and  re- 
ceived his  permit  to  visit  the  fleet  direct  from  General  Bragg. 


92  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

felt  at  liberty  to  do  so.  I  remained  and  did  him  most 
valuable  service.  That  is  how  I  came  to  serve  with 
Bragg,  instead  of  my  "beau  ideal"  Beauregard. 

II.     ORDNANCE 

Fort  Pickens,  Florida,  Oct.  15,  1861. 
Brt.  Brigadier-General,  Joseph  G.   Totten, 

Chief  Engineer,  Washington,  D.  C, 
Sir  :— 

Between  twenty  and  thirty  10-inch  Columbiads  have  been 
brought  by  railroad  to  Pensacola.  The  person  describing 
them  (while  looking  at  our  pieces  of  the  same  calibre)  said 
that  they  were  straight  at  the  muzzle  and  were  heavier  and 
shorter  behind  the  trunions,  and  that  they  were  made  at 
Richmond. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
Z.  B.  Tower, 

Major  of  Engineers.* 

Immediately  upon  my  arrival  in  Georgia,  after  the 
State  had  seceded  I  was  sent  for  by  Governor  Brown. 
I  found  him  fully  alive  to  the  situation.  After  an 
interview,  I  was  sent  to  Richmond  and  elsewhere,  with 
ample  authority  to  provide  war  materials.  At  the 
Tredeger  Works,  the  only  ones  in  the  South  then  cap- 
able of  making  heavy  guns,  I  found  that  there  were 
no  drawings  of  modern  guns.  I  had  been  on  special 
detail  with  reference  to  that  branch  of  service,  and  was 
the  only  officer  in  the  South  at  that  time,  or  at  any 
time,  with  the  exception  of  General  Huger,  who  was 
at  all  familiar  with  that  subject.  My  friend  and 
class  mate  McPherson  had  been  on  a  special  de- 
tail to  ascertain  the  effects  of  modern  ordnance  on 

*  Official  Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  1,  Vol.  6,  p.  443. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  93 

walls  and  ramparts  of  various  construction,  and  had 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  guns  of  less  than  10-inch 
calibre  were  useless.  Concerning  the  rifle-gun,  then  in 
its  experimental  stage  I  shall  have  more  to  say  further 
on. 

The  Rodman  gun,  for  the  manufacture  of  which  I 
had  been  serving  on  special  detail,  was  the  accepted 
pattern.  I  had  found  that  its  outside  dimensions,  con- 
sisting of  scientific  curved  surfaces,  could  be  made  as 
parts  of  spheres  (the  breech),  a  cylinder,  and  two 
cones  and  still  be  within  the  limits  allowed  to  the  In- 
spector, so  finding  no  drawing  or  models  at  the  Trede- 
ger  Works,  I  sketched  out  a  good  serviceable  gun  of 
easy  construction  and  great  strength,  and  ordered  Mr. 
Anderson  to  manufacture  them  as  fast  as  possible,  only 
limiting  him  to  making  at  the  same  time  a  full  compli- 
ment of  shot  and  shell  and  the  necessary  irons  for  the 
guncarriages,  and  to  ship  as  fast  as  made,  by  the 
Georgia  and  Tennessee  Railroad.  These  guns  were 
diverted,  by  Leroy  Pope  Walker,  Secretary  of  War,  to 
Mobile,  Alabama,  and  it  was  these  that  were  seen  en 
route,  not  for  Pensacola,  but  Mobile,  and  the  loss  of 
which  to  Georgia  caused  the  easy  fall  of  Fort  Pulaski. 

III.    FIGHTING  AT  PENSACOLA 

Fort  Pickens,  Florida,  Nov.  25,  1861. 
Major  Lewis  J.  Arnold, 

First  Regiment  of  Artillery, 
Sir  :— 

The  following  is  the  practical  results  of  the  firing:  With 
the  Rifle  Gun  distance  2,060  yards,  elevation  5  1-2,  the  firing 
was  effective;  beyond  that  range  uncertain. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  C.  Duryea,    - 

Captain,  etc.6 

'Ibid,  p.  476. 


94  Military  Reminiscences  of 

HEADQUARTERS   DEPARTMENT  OF  FLORIDA 

Fort  Pickens,  Nov.  25,  186 r. 
Brigadier-General  Lorenzo  Thomas, 

Adjutant  General,  Washington,  D.  C, 
General  : — 

At  the  same  time  of  my  opening  Flag-officer  McKean,  in 
the  Niagara,  and  Captain  Ellison  in  the  Richmond,  took  posi- 
tion as  near  to  Fort  McRee  as  the  depth  of  water  would  per- 
mit, but  which,  unfortunately,  was  not  sufficiently  deep  to  give 
full  effect  to  their  powerful  batteries. 
I  am,  General,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Harvey  Brown, 

Colonel  Commanding.6 


Headquarters   Army  oe  Pensacola, 

Near  Pensacoea,  December  17,  1861. 
Adjutant  General,  Richmond,  Va., 
Sir:— 

Should  their  ships  again  attempt  to  take  position  against 
McRee,  they  will  be  received  by  a  masked  battery  of  five  heavy 
shell  and  three  rifled  guns,  which  will  teach  them  a  lesson. 
This  battery  was  projected  last  spring,  but  abandoned  after 
an  examination  of  the  coast  survey  charts.  It  seems  that  the 
depth  of  water  has  increased  or  the  chart  was  wrong. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Braxton  Bragg, 
Major   General    Commanding.7 


I  was  still  Chief  Engineer  and  Artillery  when  this 
last  was  written.  I  never  heard  of  that  battery.  The 
subject  of  rifle  guns  had  been  one  for  frequent  dis- 
cussion. I  opposed  them  as  being  in  the  experimental 
stage  and  that  we  were  not  then  in  a  condition  for 
experiments.     That  I  was  right,  see  Duryea's  report 

eIMd,  p.  471. 

» ma,  p.  782. 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  95 

above.  Where  the  eight  guns  for  this  suddenly  mask- 
ed battery  came  from  I  cannot  tell,  but  admitting  we 
had  them,  I  defy  anyone  to  have  transferred  them  to 
the  point  claimed,  the  entire  route  being  along  a  beach 
directly  under  the  fire  of  all  the  guns  in  Fort  Pickens. 
Why  this  letter  was  written  I  cannot  conceive,  except 
the  hope  that  the  spies  about  Richmond  would  inform 
the  Federals.  Again  Col.  Brown's  report  shows  that 
the  coast  survey  charts  were  right  and  there  was  not 
sufficient  depth  of  water  for  the  ships  to  interfere  with 
this  battery  or  come  within  reach  of  it.  On  another 
page  I  shall  have  more  to  say  on  the  subject  of  the 
battery  that  did  not  exist  south  of  McRee. 

Fort  Pickens,  Florida,  Nov.  25,  1861. 
Colonel  Harvey  Brown  Commanding. 
Colonel  : — 

I  ordered  Captain  Duryea,  First  Artillery,  Commanding 
Battery  Scott,  ably  assisted  as  he  was  by  Lieutenant  Closson 
of  the  same  regiment,  to  direct  fire  of  his  powerful  battery, 
consisting  of  two  10-inch  Columbiads,  one  42-pounder  rifled 
gun,  and  two  10-inch  seacoast  mortars,  to  fire  on  Fort  McRee 
and  the  sand  battery  south  of  it.  I  at  the  same  time  ordered 
the  four  10-inch  seacoast  mortars  in  the  ditch,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Langdon,  and  one  13-inch  and  one  12-inch  sea- 
coast mortars,  Battery  Totten,  commanded  by  Captain  Blount, 
and  one  8-inch  Columbiad  and  two  42-pounders  in  casement, 
of  Lieutenant  Jackson's  battery  to  fire  on  Fort  McRee  and 
sand  battery  south  of  it,  for  the  purpose  of  co-operating  with 
the  Navy  in  endeavouring  to  take  and  destroy  that  important 
Fort  and  its  outworks,  which  guard  the  enemy's  right  flank 
and  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Pensacola.  The  direct  fire 
of  these  guns  was  excellent,  and,  together  with  the  heavy 
firing  from  the  United  States  Steamships  Niagara  and  Rich- 
mond, produced  a  marked  impression  on  this  stronghold  of 
the  enemy,  by  silencing  the  guns  of  the  fort  and  driving  the 


96  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

detachments  from  the  guns  in  the  sand  battery,  which  would 
no  doubt  have  decided  the  fate  of  Fort  McRee,  by  enabling 
the  command  from  the  Navy  to  take  the  Fort,  but  for  the 
opening  of  an  unexpected  and  concealed  battery,  armed  with 
rifled  cannon  of  large  calibre  or  possibly  a  io-inch  Columbiad, 
which  was  served  with  effect  on  Richmond. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

h.  G.  Arnold, 

Major,  etc.8 


When  the  difficulties  began  there  were  but  two  ports 
in  the  South  in  which  the  forts  had  their  armaments, 
viz.,  Charleston  and  Pensacola.  In  the  case  of  Charles- 
ton, the  South  Carolina  congressmen  had  seen  to  it 
that  when  money  was  appropriated  for  armament  of 
its  forts,  that  the  forts  got  the  armaments.  At  Pensa- 
cola, in  1858  or  '57,  Lieutenant  Balch,  of  the  Ord- 
nance Corps,  being  a  man  of  infinite  detail,  he  went  to 
work  and  completely  fitted  out  all  the  forts. 

When  the  principal  object  of  my  going  to  Pensacola 
had  been  defeated  by  Mr.  Davis'  permit  to  Lieutenant 
Worden  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  and  I  determined  to 
remain,  the  first  care  was  to  examine  all  the  surround- 
ings, and  then  discuss  the  subjects  in  detail  with  Gen- 
eral Bragg.  With  his  consent  I  moved,  one  by  one, 
all  the  Barbette  guns,  but  two,  from  the  Forts,  and 
distributed  them  along  the  line  of  bluff  and  beach,  in 
one  and  two  gun  batteries,  for  several  miles.  I  had 
recommended  the  same  to  be  done  at  Forts  Jackson 
and  St.  Phillipi  on  the  river  below  New  Orleans,  and 
some  of  the  guns,  diverted  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
were  intended  for  the  same  purpose  on  Tybee  Island. 

»H>id3  472. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  97 

My  idea  being  to  keep  a  fleet  under  a  continuous  fire 
for  a  long  time,  and  also  to  prevent  a  concentrated 
fire  by  a  fleet  upon  all  of  my  own  guns  at  one  time. 
At  Pensacola  it  was  a  hard  matter  to  cover  the  en- 
trance channel.  I  did  not  approve  a  battery  south  of 
McRee,  for  it  would  be  exposed  to  a  flank  fire  from 
Pickens  at  comparatively  short  range.  Eventually  I 
decided  upon  the  "unexpected  and  concealed  battery" 
referred  to  above. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1861,  General  Bragg's  com- 
mand was  extended  to  cover  Mobile,  and  shortly  after- 
wards I  was  sent  to  inspect  the  defences.  On  the  morn- 
ing after  my  return,  when  I  went  to  report,  a  dead 
silence  followed  my  entrance,  implying  that  I  was  the 
subject  of  conversation.  Shortly  after  I  went  to 
O'Bannon's  camp :  he  hinted  that  there  had  been  some 
"Piney  Woods  Engineering"  during  my  absence.  I 
made  no  reply,  but  that  afternoon  rode  over  south  of 
McRee,  to  find  that  two  casement  gun  carriages  and 
their  guns  had  been  hauled  out  in  the  open  and  fitted 
up  as  a  battery.  The  men  were  by  this  time  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  construction  of  sand  batteries,  but 
not  with  the  use  of  guns  and  gun  carriages.  With  a 
Barbette  carriage  you  can  get  a  wide  field  and  long 
range,  with  a  casemate,  a  very  limited  field  and  less 
than  half  range,  reliance  being  upon  richochet.  The 
whole  affair  was  such  an  exhibition  of  stupidity  as  to 
prevent  any  remarks  by  me.  The  Georgians  who  did 
this  work  with  Bragg's  approval,  were  very  proud  of  it 
and  during  the  bombardment  fought  it  with  great  gal- 
lantry, for  from  its  nature  they  were  very  much  ex- 
posed.   But  every  shot  they  fired  was  wasted,  and  did 


Military  Reminiscences  oe 


not  reach  half  way,  but  being  in  a  direct  line,  and  the 
richochet  throwing  up  fountains  of  water  deceived 
them. 

When  the  bombardment  commenced,  I  was  in  a 
small  boat,  half  across  the  bay,  on  my  way  to  Deer 
Point,  where  General  Bragg  had  decided  to  put  the 
Florida  Regiment  as  an  outpost,  as  he  already  had  a 
Mississippi  Regiment  on  the  west  towards  Perdido 
Bay.  How  he  was  persuaded  to  establish  these  out- 
posts I  never  knew;  but  from  what  I  did  know,  they 
appear  to  have  been  to  get  away  from  the  regular  dis- 
cipline of  the  army,  and  to  have  a  high  old  time  all 
around.  However,  I  turned  at  once.  Shortly  after 
joining  General  Bragg,  I  ventured  to  suggest  that 
Brown  would  hardly  waste  so  much  ammunition  simp- 
ly for  practice,  and  I  thought  it  probable  it  was  to 
cover  a  landing  at  Perdido  Bay  which  would  effect- 
ually cut  us  off  on  all  sides ;  further  that  we  did  not 
seem  to  be  making  much  impression  and  that  ammuni- 
tion was  very  scarce.  He  decided  to  order  our  bat- 
teries only  to  fire  occasionally,  not  oftener  than  once 
an  hour,  which  made  Brown  no  doubt  think  he  was 
silencing  our  guns. 

After  a  while  he  asked  me  why  the  above  mentioned 
battery  was  not  firing  at  the  fleet.  I  informed  him  that 
it  had  instructions  not  to  fire  without  special  orders. 
He  turned  sharply,  and  ordered  me  to  go  there  at 
once.  I  knew  the  fleet  to  be  entirely  out  of  effective 
range.  So  when  I  reached  the  gun,  the  men  were  all 
there  waiting,  I  dismounted  and  sat  down.  After  an 
hour  or  so  an  aide  came  to  know  why  I  was  not  firing. 
I  asked  him  to  please  give  my  compliments  to  General 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  99 

Bragg  and  say  that  so  soon  as  the  ships  came  within 
range  he  would  hear  from  us. 

It  was  some  time  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  observed 
them  swing  round  head  on,  and  saw  them  move  slowly 
up  to  a  new  position.  Having  no  other  means,  after 
they  had  taken  up  their  new  position  and  commenced 
firing,  I  got  the  distance  by  sight  and  sound.  My  first 
shot,  afterwards  so  reported,  passed  between  masts, 
and  the  second  one  hulled  the  ship  so  effectually  as  to 
disable  her.  When  some  of  her  timbers  floated  ashore 
next  day,  my  Georgians  claimed  them,  and  Bragg  en- 
dorsed their  claim.  The  above  official  report  of  Major 
Arnold  is  the  first  acknowledgement  of  the  effective 
work  of  the  battery. 

IV.     BRAGG  AND  CONFEDERATE  MILITARY 
APPOINTMENTS 

Headquarters  Department  Aeabama  and  West  Florida 
Near  Pensacola,  Florida,  October  30,  1861. 

Hon.  J.  P.  Benjamin, 

Acting  Secretary  of  War, 

Richmond,  Virginia. 
Sir:— 

On  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the  6th.  instant  a  short  reply 
was  made  to  the  first  point  and  a  further  one  promised  on  the 
main    subject. 

Though  very  grateful  to  my  wounded  feelings,  yours  was 
not  entirely  satisfactory  to  me,  nor  to  those  on  whose  behalf 
I  had  presumed  to  complain.  I  now  propose  to  controvert 
your  positions  knowing  the  danger  I  encounter. 

Nothing,  it  seems,  can  be  done  for  my  neglected  officers 
under  the  legislation  as  it  now  exists.  How  does  it  happen 
that  so  much  has  been  done  for  others,  their  juniors,  under 
this  same  legislation?     You  acknowledge  this  in  your  letter. 


100  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

You  admit  one  case  in  Colonel  Wheeler.  Others  present  them- 
selves to  my  mind.  A  private  in  one  of  my  companies,  a 
gentleman  of  high  attainment  and  merit,  only  equaled  by  his 
modesty,  was  offered  the  Colonelcy  of  a  regiment.  He  declin- 
ed it  in  favor  of  one  of  my  regular  officers,  but  saying,  "If 
civilians  must  be  appointed,  then  I  will  accept."  He  was  at 
once  commissioned,  and  removed  from  a  position  he  adorned 
on  my  staff  to  one  he  was  unprepared  to  fill.  He  will  in  time 
make  a  fine  officer,  but  those  he  preferred  seeing  appointed 
were  already  made.  Other  regiments  raised  at  the  same  time 
were  officered  by  civillians  in  the  same  way.  All  of  my  staff 
officers  here  of  the  old  Regular  Army,  the  first  to  quit  it, 
some  even  before  their  states  seceeded,  were  allowed  to  rest 
in  subordinate  positions,  while  their  inferiors  in  rank,  of  the 
eleventh  hour  converts  and  civilians,  were  placed  over  their 
heads.  Certainly  the  legislation  of  Congress  never  required 
this.  You  now  propose  that  whenever  I  can  spare  them  you 
will  find  means  to  give  them  increased  rank  in  the  Provisional 
Army.  I  will  not  spare  them  if  I  can  help  it,  nor  are  they 
desirious  of  leaving  me,  but  I  claim  consideration  for  them 
equal  to  that  accorded  their  inferiors  in  other  armies.  My 
officers  and  myself  have  remained  at  our  posts  faithfully 
laboring  in  the  cause  we  so  early  espoused.  We  have  not 
united  in  the  "On  to  Richmond"  seeking  high  places.  We 
considered  it  unmilitary  and  unbecoming.  We  were  ardently 
serving  the  cause,  not  ourselves  but,  nevertheless,  we  did  not 
suppose  our  government  would  so  soon  forget  we  were  in  its 
service  and  degrade  us.  This  state  of  things,  my  dear  sir,  we 
believe  has  been  brought  about  to  some  extent  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  President  and  against  his  wishes,  but  it  is 
nevertheless  a  rankling  sore,  which  he  only  can  cure.  I  am 
candid,  perhaps  harsh,  but  I  am  doing  him  more  service  than 
by  permitting  the  evil  to  grow  while  he  is  in  ignorance.  I  do 
not  hesitate  to  say,  "I  impugn  the  action  of  your  predecessor." 
He  has  done  the  service  more  harm  in  the  Cabinet  than  he 
will  ever  repair  in  the  field. 

Let  me  now  appeal  to  you  for  an  old  brother  soldier,  who 
is  more  aggrieved  and  with  more  cause  than  any  of  us.    Brig- 


Gun.  Wm.  R.  Bo-ggs,  C.S.A.  101 

adier-General  Ruggles  first  reported  to  me  as  second  in  com- 
mand under  the  impression  derived  from  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral, and  I  believed  it  from  the  precedence  given  his  name  in 
his  order.  We  soon  learned  that  Brigadier-General  Ander- 
son, his  junior  by  many  years  in  the  old  service,  and  it  is  no 
disparagement  to  say,  very  far  his  inferior  as  a  soldier,  was  his 
senior  in  rank.  General  Ruggles  soon  after  raising  this  ques- 
tion, was  ordered  to  New  Orleans,  as  a  means,  we  hoped,  of 
removing  this  cause  of  complaint.  What  was  his  and  our  dis- 
may, then,  to  learn  that  another  junior,  just  from  the  enemy, 
who  had  been  up  to  a  late  hour  lecturing  them  on  the  art  and 
science  of  war,  was  promoted  over  his  head,  and  assigned  to 
a  command  the  highest  and  most  important  in  the  southern 
country.  That  command  includes  my  home  and  my  fireside, 
and  all  that  is  dear  to  me  in  life.  I  can  appreciate  the  feel- 
ings of  sullen  dissatisfaction  which  prevades  my  neighbors. 
The  appointee  is  competent,  but  he  does  not  and  cannot  pos- 
sess the  confidence  of  many  who  look  with  distrust  on  his 
eleventh-hour  conversion.  A  great  element  of  strength  is  thus 
lost  to  us.  You  will  never  preserve  the  morale  of  this  army 
by  thus  degrading  the  commanders  they  so  much  admire  and 
love.  The  feeling  of  discontent  has  reached  the  rank  and 
file  intelligent  enough  to  read  and  digest  these  things,  and 
where  I  expected  to  re-enlist  hundreds  for  the  war  tens 
cannot  be  found.  They  will  not  abandon  the  cause,  but  will 
try  and  find  a  service  less  obscure  and  more  appreciated — one 
in  which  their  commanders  possess  sufficiently  the  confidence 
of  the  Government  to  justify  them  in  expecting  more  consid- 
eration. 

The  result  of  all  of  your  deliberations  has  not  been  to 
preserve  the  morale  of  this  army.  Soldiers  who  have  con- 
fidence in  and  respect  for  their  commanders  are  never  de- 
moralized by  seeing  them  advanced  in  their  rank  or  command 
or  by  seeing  their  sphere  of  usefulness  increased  nor  will 
you  encourage  the  zeal  of  those  commanders  by  making  known 
to  them  that  success  in  their  ardous  labors  of  organization 
and  instruction  is  to  consign  them  to  inferior  positions,  as 
mere  drill  masters. 


102  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

Feeling  so  deeply  it  was  due  to  myself,  to  you,  and  the 
President,  that  I  should  give  free  expression  to  my  sentiments, 
it  is  done  in  no  spirit  of  insubordination.  All  that  I  have, 
all  that  I  am,  shall  remain  in  this  cause  whenever  and 
wherever  it  may  please  the  Government  to  employ  me. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully  and  truly,  yours, 

Braxton  Bragg, 
Major  General  Commanding.9 

The  intense  bitterness  of  this  letter  does  not  come 
from  any  consideration  of  his  staff:  if  you  will  follow 
his  career  to  the  end,  you  will  find  that  those  members 
of  his  staff  who  remained  with  him  never  received 
rank  commensurate  to  the  services  rendered.  Again, 
General  Cooper,  Adjutant  General,  informed  me  per- 
sonally, that  Bragg  never  made  an  application  calling 
for  the  promotion  of  any  member  of  his  staff,  that  it 
was  not  accompanied  by  a  private  note  saying,  that 
the  application  was  a  public  acknowledgement  of  the 
merits  of  its  officers,  but  that  he  could  not  spare  them. 
They  in  fact  organized  and  disciplined  his  army,  and 
each  and  all  of  them  did  all  that  an  earnest  zeal  in 
their  profession  and  the  cause  could  urge  them  to  do. 

Again,  he  complains  of  the  promotion  of  civilians 
and  untried  men  to  positions  to  which  tried  soldiers 
should  be  appointed,  yet,  very  soon  after  this  letter, 
you  will  find  J.  K.  Jackson,  of  Georgia,  Patton  An- 
derson, of  Florida  and  J.  R.  Chalmers,  of  Mississippi, 
appointed  Brigadiers  at  his  solicitation,  and  that  too 
without  much  urging.  He  had  begun  to  feel,  that, 
maybe,  a  few  political  appointments  might  help  his 
own  advancement. 

Records,  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  758. 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  103 

The  bitterness  of  this  letter  is  excusable  and  more 
than  just.  He  had,  from  the  beginning,  been  engaged 
in  organizing  an  army  of  over  seven  thousand  men, 
had  been  for  months  engaged  upon  this  arduous  duty 
when  all  at  once  Mansfield  Lovell,  formerly  his  subor- 
dinate in  the  U.  S.  Army,  comes  South,  with  the  rank 
of  Major  General  and  is  assigned  to  the  command,  of 
all  others,  which  Bragg  coveted  and  which,  of  right, 
should  be  his.  Benjamin's  letter  of  the  6th  conveying 
the  intelligence  of  his  own  promotion  and  extension  of 
command,  conveyed  also  in  a  general  order  the  ap- 
pointment of  Mansfield  Lovell  to  be  a  Major-General, 
and  his  assignment  to  the  command  at  New  Orleans. 

Now,  after  seven  months  of  delay,  Mr.  Davis  has 
in  command  of  his  principal  armies  men  whom  he 
conscientiously  believed  to  be  the  greatest  soldiers  of 
the  age :  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  in  Virginia,  with  G.  W. 
Smith  for  his  second  in  command,  Albert  Sidney  John- 
ston in  Kentucky,  Mansfield  Lovell  at  New  Orleans 
and  J.  C.  Pemberton  at  Charleston.  Now,  the  heads 
of  all  his  army  bureaus,  except  that  of  quartermaster, 
which  is  still  waiting  for  Emory — Bold  Emory — in 
hopes  that  he  may  once  more  change  his  mind — he  did 
resign  in  May,  but  suddenly  withdrew  his  resignation — 
are  all  filled  to  his  satisfaction.  Bragg  is  still  drill- 
master  at  Pensacola,  and  Beauregard,  who  had  blown 
Anderson  out  of  Sumpter  and  rolled  big  McDowell 
back  upon  Washington,  has  been  shelved  in  the  center 
of  Mississippi.  But  he,  Beauregard,  seeing  the  inevi- 
table, is  quietly  organizing  a  small  army  and  selecting 
his  line  of  battle,  ready  to  turn  back  the  Federals  at 
Shiloh. 


104  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

During  these  seven  months,  the  best  material,  as 
fine  as  the  world  ever  saw,  for  soldiers  have  been  mov- 
ing eagerly  to  the  front  ready  to  engage  the  enemy, 
but  are  kept  rotting  in  camps,  without  arms,  equip- 
ments, supplies,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
number,  without  organization.  Waiting  these  special 
heads ! 

In  the  meantime  the  Federals  have  not  been  idle. 
Scott's  "Anaconda"  has  been  getting  into  position :  with 
its  head  at  Cairo,  its  glistening  eyes  looking  down  the 
Mississippi  River,  its  body  stretching  up  the  Ohio 
Valley,  across  West  Virginia  and  Maryland,  down  the 
Atlantic  Coast  and  around  into  the  Gulf  with  its  tail 
at  Ship  Island. 

It  was  the  last  Merry  Christmas  and  Happy  New 
Year  for  the  Confederacy.  In  a  few  months,  McClel- 
lan  is  within  seven  miles  of  Richmond,  with  scarcely 
the  loss  of  a  man.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  has  aband- 
oned Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  is  endeavoring  to 
assemble  his  scattered  army  about  Beauregard's  in 
Mississippi;  and  is  soon  to  lose  his  life  fighting  on 
Beauregard's  battlefield,  with  Beauregard's  army,  re- 
inforced by  his  own  and  such  other  troops  as  could 
be  hurriedly  assembled.  Roanoke  Island,  Port  Royal 
and  Fort  Pulaski  have  fallen;  New  Orleans  taken  and 
Pensacola  abandoned. 

"Ah !  Then  and  there  was  a  hurrying  to  and  fro." 
"And  then  was  mounting  in  hot  haste." 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  105 

V.    GENERAL  ANDERSON  AND  BRAGG 

Headquarters  Army  of  Pensacola, 

Near  Pensacola,  Florida,  Jan.  3,  1862. 
Sir:— 

On  my  way  to  this  point  from  Mobile  on  the  first  instant 
I  was  privately  advised  by  telegraph  that  firing  was  going 
on  between  our  batteries  and  Fort  Pickens.  I  hastened  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  and  reached  here  at  4  a.  m.  the  2nd.  It 
appears  that  a  small  private  steamer  had  been  imprudently 
allowed  to  run  to  the  Navy  Yard,  and  was  fired  on  by  the 
enemy  at  Fort  Pickens.  This  fire  was  returned  by  order  of 
Brigadier-General  Anderson,  in  temporary  command,  and  a 
brisk  cannonade  was  kept  up  on  both  sides  until  dark,  when 
the  enemy  ceased.  Ours  was  continued  irregularly  and  ap- 
parently without  effect  or  an  object  until  stopped  by  my 
order.  No  casuality  is  reported  on  our  side,  and  we  can  see 
no  damage  to  the  enemy.  A  large  and  valuable  storehouse, 
with  considerable  property,  in  the  Navy  Yard,  was  burned  by 
the  enemy's  shells. 

I  regret  exceedingly  to  add  that  concurrent  testimony  of 
many  officers  of  rank  represent  Brigadier-General  Anderson 
as  so  much  intoxicated  as  to  be  entirely  unfit  for  duty,  and 
that  his  conduct  was  very  reprehensible.  It  is  being  investi- 
gated, and  I  fear  that  an  arrest  and  a  prosecution  will  be 
necessary.  Holding  juniors  to  a  rigid  accountability,  I  shall 
not  overlook  a  similar  offense  in  a  commanding  General  under 
such  aggregavating  circumstances. 

Not  the  least  cause  of  regret  was  the  large  and  criminal 
waste  of  means  so  necessary  for  our  defense  and  which  we 
cannot  replace. 

I  must  again  urge  on  the  Department  my  request  for  a 
second  in  command  here  who  could  be  entrusted  with  this 
army  during  my  necessary  absence.  Mobile  demands  much  of 
my  time;  indeed,  the  state  of  affairs  there  is  alarming,  but  I 


106  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

am  almost  powerless  for  the  want  of  proper  officers  for  com- 
mand.   The  material  is  here,  but  it  cannot  be  used. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Braxton  Bragg, 
Major  General  Commanding.10 

Adjutant  General,  C.  S.  Army,  Richmond. 

The  foregoing  is  a  vile  libel  on  a  gallant  officer  and 
honorable  gentleman,  and  it  is  an  exceeding  shame 
that  it  should  be  handed  down  to  posterity  without  op- 
portunity for  correction  in  the  records  in  which  it  is 
printed.  General  Bragg  not  only  does  not  confine 
himself  to  the  facts,  but  states  what  is  absolutely  false. 
First,  that  "This  fire  was  returned  by  order  of  Gen- 
eral Anderson."  It  was  New  Years'  day,  and  I  was 
at  General  Anderson's  private  quarters,  where  he 
and  his  estimable  wife  were  receiving  New  Year  calls. 
There  were  several  other  officers  present — all  seated 
and  chatting  familiarly.  First  we  heard  a  gun,  evi- 
dently from  Fort  Pickens,  and  almost  at  once  a  roar 
of  guns  from  all  along  the  line.  We  all  mounted  as 
quickly  as  possible  and  made  our  way  to  the  Navy 
Yard.  General  Anderson's  gallant  conduct  in  dismount- 
ing, getting  upon  the  parapet  and  calling  upon  the 
officers  of  the  battery  to  come  up  there  with  him  and 
watch  the  effects  of  their  shot,  in  order  to  regulate 
their  firing  with  more  accuracy,  may  have  appeared  to 
a  new  soldier  an  act  of  intoxication,  rather  than  that 
of  a  commander  who  wished  to  instill  confidence  in 
his  command. 

Again,  General  Bragg  says :  "It  appears  that  a  small 
private  steamer  had  been  imprudently  allowed  to  run 

10  Official  Records,  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  497. 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  107 

to  the  navy  yard,  and  was  fired  on  by  the  enemy  at 
Fort  Pickens."  That  small  private  steamer  was  one 
of  our  transports,  under  the  direct  charge  of  an  officer 
of  the  First  Louisiana  Regulars,  who  had  been  put 
upon  a  special  detail,  by  special  favor  of  General 
Bragg,  in  charge  of  our  transports,  and  up  to  this 
time  was  not  known  by  General  Anderson  or  even 
many  of  Bragg's  staff  to  be  so  detailed.  When  called 
to  account  for  permitting  the  steamer  to  run  to  the 
navy  yard,  he  stated  "That  it  was  done  with  the 
knowledge  and  consent  of  General  Bragg."11 

After  leaving  Pensacola,  I  learned  that  General 
Bragg  had  preferred  charges  against  General  Ander- 
son, and  I  at  once  wrote  to  Bragg,  telling  him  what  I 
knew  of  the  case,  and  expressing  my  regret  at  his 
action.  He  replied,  giving  me  to  understand,  that  I 
had  put  a  different  phase  on  the  case.  At  the  same 
time  I  wrote  to  General  Anderson,  telling  him,  that  I 
should  be  happy  to  appear  as  his  witness  whenever 
and  wherever  he  might  desire  it. 

Concerning  that  part  of  Bragg's  report  which  says, 
"I  must  again  urge  on  the  Department  my  request  for 
a  second  in  command  here  who  could  be  entrusted 
with  his  army  in  my  necessary  absence." 

Before  reading  this,  I  was  not  aware  of  any  preju- 
dice on  the  part  of  Bragg  against  Anderson,  nor  can  I 
now  understand  it,  and  will  show  why  I  cannot. 

11  The  skirmish  here  described  took  place  Jan.  1,  1862.  It  was 
the  cause  of  a  quarrel  among  the  Confederate  officers  after  Bragg's 
return.  A  contemporary  newspaper  dispatch  has  the  following  on 
the  point :  "Report  has  it  that  there  was  quite  a  flare  up  all 
round ; — Bragg's  man  Friday,  chief  engineers,  ordnance  officers, 
and  everything  else.  An  obscure  individual  by  the  name  of  Boggs 
is  said  to  have  resigned.  It  won't  make  much  difference  to  us,  one 
way  or  the  other ;  but  will  affect  Bragg's  arrangements  a  good 
deal." 


108  Military  Reminiscences  oe 

VI.    NOTE  ON  GENERAL  SAM  JONES 

Headquarters  Army  of  Pensacola 

Near  Pensacola,  Florida,,  Jan.  27,  1862. 

General  Orders,  No.  5. 

********* 

IV.  Brigadier-General  Samuel  Jones,  Provisional  Army, 
having  reported  for  duty,  is  assigned  to  the  .command  of  the 
Army  of  Pensacola.  The  regret  of  the  Major-General  at 
yielding  the  immediate  command  of  this  army,  which  he  has 
exercised  with  so  much  pleasure  and  pride,  is  lessened  by  a 
knowledge  that  he  devolves  it  on  a  tried  veteran,  every  way 
worthy  of  confidence. 

By  command  of  Major  General  Bragg: 

George  G.  Garner, 

Ass't   Adjutant   Gen.12 


Headquarters  Department  Alabama  and  West  Florida 
Near  Pensacola,  Florida,  Feb.  1,  1862. 
Adjutant  General  C.  S.  Army, 

Richmond,  Va. 
Sir:— 

From  General  Jones'  high  character  as  an  officer  and  his 
experience  as  an  artillerist  there  is  every  reason  to  hope  for 
entire  success  in  his  new  command. 

Braxton  Bragg, 

Major  General  Com'g." 


Sam  Jones  graduated  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Acad- 
emy in  1841.  In  1846  he  was  detailed  as  an  instructor 
at  West  Point;  and  from  that  day  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  I  never  heard  of  him  doing  one  hour's 
duty  with  his  company.    In  January,  1860,  I  met  him 


Records,  Series  I,  Vol.  6,  p.  816. 
13  Hid,  p.  820. 


Gsn.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  109 

in  Willard's  Hotel,  Washington  City.  He  was  lobbying 
for  a  bill  to  retire  superannuated  and  disabled  officers, 
stating  to  me  that  as  the  old  men  were  not  capable, 
and  the  young  men  who  had  the  duty  to  do  should 
have  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments.  I  told  him  I  had 
just  returned  from  the  Rio  Grande  where  I  had  been 
in  action  with  the  Mexican  marauders  in  company  with 
three  companies  of  artillery,  everyone  of  which  was 
commanded  by  a  second  lieutenant,  two  of  the  very 
recent  appointments  from  civil  life;  and  asked  him  if 
his  bill  included  the  three  captains  and  six  first  lieu- 
tenants who  were  absent.  One  was  his  company. 
Pulling  his  mustache  fiercely,  he  informed  me  that  he 
did  not  intend  to  do  infantry  duty;  being  commis- 
sioned as  a  captain  of  artillery — entirely  forgetting 
that  the  law  which  organized  the  artillery  service  of 
the  United  States  was  worded  "To  serve  as  Infantry 
except,  etc."  So  that,  I  am  somewhat  at  a  loss  to  know 
where  the  veteran  or  experienced  artillerist  comes  in. 
Now  Richard  H.  Anderson's  record  reads  as  fol- 
lows: Graduated  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy  in 
1842.  Breveted  for  services  in  the  Mexican  war:  and 
I  cannot  find  that  he  was  ever  absent  from  his  troops. 


VII.    COTTON  SPECULATION 

Union  County,  Arkansas,  Jan.  5,  1865. 
President  Davis: 
Sir  :— 

The  cotton  speculation  on  the  Mississippi  River  has  been 
carried  on  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  months  on  a  very  ex- 
tensive scale,  under  the  pretense  of  obtaining  clothing  for 
the  army,  which  has  had,  and  is  still  having,  a  very  demoral- 


110  Military  Reminiscences  oE 

izing  influence  in  the  Confederate  Army  in  the  Trans- 
Mississippi  District.  In  my  opinion  nothing  but  the  timely 
movement  of  General  Steele  from  Little  Rock  last  spring,  in 
the  direction  of  Shreveport,  ever  prevented  this  army  from 
becoming  completely  demoralized,  and  disbanding  and  going 
home.  The  same  influence  is  at  work  now.  The  soldiers,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  are  deserting  and  going  home  and  to  the 
enemy  in  consequence  of  the  cotton  speculation  that  is  now 
going  on,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and  unless  there  is  a 
stop  put  to  it  I  fear  the  consequences.  Last  spring  a  Mr. 
Chttisto  (a  considerable  stage  contractor)  and  others,  sold 
thousands  of  bales  of  cotton  to  the  enemy  on  the  Mississippi 
River.  He  had,  I  understand,  permission  from  General 
E.  Kirby  Smith  to  pass  any  amount  of  cotton  through  our 
lines  and  sell  to  the  Federals,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
clothing  for  the  army,  cotton  cards,  medicine  etc.  Not  a 
suit  of  clothing  for  the  soldiers,  or  any  cotton  cards  or  medi- 
cines, has  ever  been  received  that  I  am  aware  of.  This  fall 
General  E.  Kirby  Smith  has  appointed  Colonel  Polk  the  head 
of  the  Cotton  Bureau  established  on  or  near  the  Mississippi 
River.  Colonel  Parsons  was  ordered  to  report  to  Colonel 
Polk  to  protect  the  cotton  trade  that  is  carried  on  with  the 
enemy.  The  trade  is  carried  on,  as  I  understand,  in  the 
following  manner :  Each  planter  or  individual  who  has  cotton 
to  sell  is  first  required  to  give  or  make  a  present  of  one  half 
of  his  cotton  to  the  Government  of  the  Confederate  States 
without  any  compensation,  the  remaining  half  he  has  the  pri- 
vilege of  selling  to  whom  he  pleases  under  the  permit  and 
and  protection  of  General  Smith.  Thousands  of  bales  of 
cotton  have  recently  been  sold  to  the  enemy  in  this  way.  The 
wagons  are  guarded  and  escorted  to  the  River  by  soldiers, 
the  above  statement  I  submit  to  you  for  your  consideration. 
The  whole  matter  can  be  clearly  established  by  abundant 
proof.  There  is,  I  presume,  a  large  quantity  of  cotton  former- 
ly purchased  by  the  Confederate  States  of  America  returned 
to  Richmond  as  being  burned.  A  large  quantity  of  cotton  so 
returned  has  been  stolen,  and  a  portion  sold  to  the  enemy. 
There  is  yet  remaining  in  the  country  a  good  portion  of  the 


Gen.  Wm.  R.  Boggs,  C.S.A.  Ill 

cotton,  which  might  be  brought  to  light  by  a  strict  investiga- 
tion, and  unless  the  cotton  trade  is  stopped  I  would  not  give 
the  Government  (comparatively  speaking)  much  for  the 
cotton  which  she  owns  in  this  country.  The  above  statement 
I  respectfully  submit  for  your  consideration. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Robert  W.  McHenry. 

True   copy   respectfully   furnished   Major-General   H.    W. 
Halleck,  Chief  of  Staff,  for  consideration. 

J.  J.  Reynolds, 
Major  General,  Commanding  Department." 


Headquarters   Trans-Mississippi   Department, 

ShrevEport,  January  6th,  1865. 
Lieutenant-General  Buckner, 

Commanding  District  of  West  Louisiana. 
General  : — 

I  am  directed  by  the  commanding  general  to  inform  you  that 
he  places  under  your  control  all  operations  in  cotton  through 
the  enemy's  lines.  All  proposals  or  contracts  for  the  intro- 
duction of  supplies  and  the  purchase  of  cotton  will  be  sub- 
mitted to  you.  Major  Buckner  has  been  directed  to  report 
to  you  for  duty  in  connection  with  this  matter.  Captain  Polk 
will  be  instructed  to  report  to  Major  Buckner,  who  can  con- 
trol his  operations  in  the  District  of  Arkansas. 
I  am,  General,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  F.  Belton, 
Assistant  Adjutant  General." 


Comments  do  not  appear  necessary. 


M  Official  Records,  Series  I,  Vol.  48,  Pt.  1,  p.  1316. 
^Iotd,  p.  1318. 


INDEX 


Alexandria,    La.,    54. 
Allston,   Gen.   B.,   34,   59,   85. 
Anderson's   Foundry,   5. 
Anderson,  Gen.  Rich.,  18,   23,   32, 
101,   105,    107,    109. 

Col.    Sam.,   59,   64,   65,   81. 

Andrews,    Geo.    L.,    85. 
Arnold,    L.    J.,    93. 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  32,  52. 

Bainbridge,    Ga.,    30. 

Balch,    Lieut.,   96. 

Banks,    Gen.   N.   P.,   XIV,   57,   75, 
76,    79. 

Barboursville,    Ky.,    36. 

Bartow,    F.    S.,    5,    6,    90. 

Beauregard,  Gen.  G.  T.,  4,   5,   89, 
90. 

Belton,  Col.  J.  F.,  35,  52,  60,  111. 

Benjamin,    J.    P.,    Bragg    to,    99- 
102. 

Blair,  Col.,  64. 

Boggs,    Archibald,    II. 

Archibald,    Jr.,    II. 

Catherine   J.,   III. 

Pamela,    II. 

Robert,   II,   52,   68. 

Wm.      R.,      ancestry,      II ; 

birth,  III ;  education  and  ser- 
vice in  army  of  U.  S.,  III-VI, 
1,  2 ;  resigns  from  the  U.  S. 
army,  III,  3;  Staff  of  Gov. 
Brown,  VII ;  purchase  of  sup- 
plies, 4,  5,  92,  93;  at  Charles- 
ton, 4 ;  converts  penitentiary 
into  Foundry,  VII ;  transfer 
to  Confed.  service,  ibid;  Head 
of  Ordnance  Bureau,  6.  7 ;  at 
Mobile  and  New  Orleans,  7 ; 
Pensacola,  9-11,  89,  92,  93-99 ; 
and  T.  R.  Cobb,  11-12;  criti- 
cises Confed.  Military  Appoint- 
ments, 12-13,  27,  102-103;  and 
Joseph  Wheeler,  13  ;  at  Mobile, 
15,  16.  resigns  from  Confed. 
service,  20 ;  relation  with 
Bragg,  97  ;  at  New  Orleans,  22  ; 
Mansfield  Lovell,  Davis,  and 
Bragg,  22 ;  returns  to  service 
of  Ga.,  IX,  23 ;  at  Savannah 
IX,  23,  26;  Fort  Boggs,  X 
on  the  Appalachicola,  X,  28-30 
at  Charleston,  31  ;  advises  for 
tification  of  Atlanta,  32 ;  re 
fuses  staff  of  Davis,  33  ;   Supt 


113 


La.  State  Seminary,  IX ;  in- 
spects mines,  33 ;  invasion  of 
Kentucky,  34-41  ;  battle  of 
Richmond,  38-39 ;  advance  on 
Lexington,  39-41 ;  at  Frank- 
fort, 42-44 ;  retreat  from  Ky., 
46-48  ;  at  Cumberland  Gap,  44  ; 
appointed  Brigadier  General, 
51  ;  Chief -of -Staff  to  Kirby 
Smith,  51 ;  at  Chattanooga, 
51 ;  Atlanta,  Montgomery, 
Jackson,  52 ;  Alexandria,  La., 
54 ;  and  Federal  Spies,  54-55  ; 
at  Little  Rock,  56 ;  and  Sys- 
tem of  Communications,  57 ; 
on  Red  River,  71  ;  prepares  for 
retreat,  74 ;  on  battle  of 
Mansfield,  76-77 ;  at  Magnolia, 
Ark.,  78 ;  at  Camden,  79  ;  and 
Kirby  Smith,  81-82 ;  Com. 
Dist.  of  La.,  83 ;  resigns  from 
staff,  83  ;  request  for  by  Taylor 
83 ;  at  Natchitoches,  84 ;  at 
Shreveport,  84 ;  and  Mexico, 
84 ;  Commissioner  of  Pa- 
roles, 85 ;  parole  of,  85-86 ; 
removal  of  disabilities,  86 ; 
Commentaries,  89-111  ;  Chil- 
dren, XVI ;  Engineering,  ibid; 
at  Va.  Polyt.  Inst.,  ibid;  death, 
ibid. 

Boyce,    Judge,    71. 

Bragg,  Gen.  B.,  VIII,  8,  9,  10, 
14,  15,  16,  20,  42,  44,  50,  90, 
94,   97,   99,   102,   105,   107,   108. 

Brown,  Gov.  Jos.  B.,  23,  25,  26, 
34. 

Col.   J.   M.,   35,   52. 

Col.  H.,  94,  95,  96. 

Buckner,  Gen.,  81,  83,  84,  85,  86. 

Bureau  of  Commissariat  and 
Medicine,    59. 

Butt,   Maj.  Archie,   III. 

,   Joshua  Willing,   II. 

,  J.  D.,   III. 

Calhoun,  Geo.,  58,  70. 

Camp  Dick  Robinson,   46. 

Capers,   J.   W.,   23. 

Carr,   Major,   67. 

Catlett,   Dr.,   68. 

Couston's    Bluff,    24. 

Chattahoochee    Arsenal,    29. 

Chalmers,    J.   R.,   102. 

Charleston,    S.   C,   31. 

Churchill,    T.    J.,    35. 


114 


INDEX 


Cincinnati,    41,    42. 
Cleburn,  P.  P.,  35,  36,  38. 
Clemens,   Jerry,   9. 
Clemson,    Col.,    60. 
Clinton,    La.,    53. 
Cobb,  Thos.  R.,   11-12. 
Columbus,    Ga.,   29,   31. 
Confederate  Government,   7,  91. 
Cooper,  Adj.  Gen.,  8,  31-32. 
Cotton    Trade,   63,    64,   109-111. 
Crane,   Mrs.,   58. 
Cumberland   Gap,  41,   49,   50. 
Cunningham,  Capt.  E.,  35,  52,  60. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  5,  6,  22,  2T,  28, 

32,  33,  50,  56. 
Davis,   Gen.   W.   G.  M.,   50. 
Dicks    River,    117. 
Douglas,    Maj.,    60. 
Ducayet,    Maj.,    60. 
Duryea,  R.   C,   93. 

Egan,  Dr.,   72. 
Ernensputch,   William,   III. 
Ezell,  Major,  52,  68,   84. 


Johnston,  Jos.  E.,  74,  75. 

Kentucky,  Invasion  of,  ch.  III. 
King,   T.  Butler,   VII,   34. 

Lawton,  A.  R.,  24. 
Lexington,  Ky.,  XII,  36,  39-41. 
Lee,  Robt.  E.,  24,  26. 
Little  Rock,  Ark.,   59,   78. 
Lockett,   Capt.    S.   H.,   10. 
Lovell,   Gen.   M.,   22,   103. 

Magruder,    Gen.,    60,    71,    74,    80, 

81. 
Magnolia,   Ark.,    78. 
Mansfield,  76,   77. 
McCown,   Gen.   J.   P.,   34,   36. 
McElrath,  H.  McD.,  35. 
McHenry,   R.   W.,    III. 
Mcintosh,   Lacland,   23,   25,   28. 
McPherson,   Jno.   B.,   92. 
Meem,  J.  G.,  35,  60. 
Metcalf,    2. 
Minter,  Maj.,  65. 
Mobile,  Ala.,  5. 
Morgan,   Gen.   J.   H.,   34. 

,   Gen.   G.   W.,  41. 

Moseley,   Pamela,   II. 

Joseph,   II. 

Moultrie,   Fort,  4,  5. 


Nelms,  The,  17. 
Nelson,    Gen.    Wm.,    37. 
New    Orleans,    84-85. 
O'Bannon,  L.  W.,  6,  10,  60,  61-64, 
97. 


,    10, 


Fagan,  Gen.,   78. 

Finley,    Col.,    29,    35. 

Flags,   79. 

Fort  Gaines,   30. 

Fort   Pickens,    8,    11. 

Fort   Pulaski,   28. 

Fort  McRee,   VII. 

Frankfort,    Ky.,    XII,    42-43. 

Freret,   Capt.,  35,  52,  67. 

Gano,   Col.   R.   M.,   35. 

Georgia,  State  of,  Military  Activ-  _.    .   „ 

ities    12    3  Owl   Creek,   30. 

Gilbert,   Gen.    C.   C,   40.  „    ,_       „ 

Gladding,  Capt.,  25,  29,  31.  Parker,  Francis,  Jr.,  19. 

Gardner,    Gen.   F.,   53.  Pegram,  Col.  J.,  35. 

Gorgas,  Col.,  91.  Pemberton,  Gen.,  27,  28. 

Graham,   Gen.   M.,   81.  Pensacola,    Fla.,    VIII,    8, 

Grant,   U.    S.,    17.  „  !7"19>    92. 

Pohgnac,    Prince,    35,    48. 

tt„,.;i™    xxt    t     o  Port  Hudson,   53. 

Hardee,    W.    J.,    2.  Price     ffen     R      7*5     7fi 

Harrison,   E.  P.,  23.  £"<£'   ^enpK'oJ5'   78" 

Harrodsburg,   Ky.,   44.  Pulaski     Fort    5     26    93 

Hartford,   The,    17.  miasm,   *ort,   0,   Zb,   yd. 

Hayden,   Dr.,   59,   64.  Queen  of  the  Wert    ^4 

Hayes,  Gen.  H.,  84.  yueen  oj  xne   west,  o4. 

§^'Q.Penkv,HVp 3 w     TTT-tr    *a    no  Reynolds,   Gov.,   80. 

w™S 'r^  Jn  \\      IV'  56'  69-  Rhett,  Maj.   T.    S.,   59,   67. 

Huger,  Gen.,   60,   61.  Rickoos  Bluff,   29. 

Richmond,    Ky.,    XI,    37. 

Iverson,   Judge,   28.  Robertson,   John,    II. 

Ives,    Capt.    J.   C,   24.  ,  Mary   Ann,   II. 

Wm.   Alexander,    72. 

Jackson,    Henry   R.,    23,    25,    102 William,    II. 

Johnson,    Senator,    82.  "Scotch   Billy,"    II. 

Jones,   Gen.   Sam,   108-109.  Rodman  Guns,  1,  2,  93. 


INDEX 


115 


Rome,    Ga.,   33. 

Sabine  Pass,   71. 

Sabine  River,  79. 

Savannah,   Ga.,   23-26,   28. 

Schaumberg,   Maj.    W.,   59. 

Scott,  J.  S.,  35. 

Secessionville,   S.   C,  31. 

Shreveport,  57-58,  75,   77. 

Shropshere,    44-45. 

Smith,  General  Kirby,  XI,  XII, 
XIII,  XIV,  XV,  34,  35,  36,  37, 
39,  40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  48,  50, 
51,  52,  54,  56,  57,  60,  74,  76, 
77. 

Smith,    G.    W.,   89. 

Smith,  Dr.  Sol.,  XIV,  XV,  35,  41, 
57,  59,  60,  75,  76,  82,  84. 

Steele,  Gen.  William,  XIV,  XV, 
75,  77,  78,  79. 

Stevens,  Capt.,  10. 

Stevenson,    Gen.    C.,    34. 

Symington,  Col.  J.,  V,  VI. 

,  Mary   Sophia,   V. 

Taylor,  Henry  P.,  XVII. 

Gen.    Rich.,    XIII,    XIV, 


XV,  54,  75,  77,  79,  80. 
Tallahasse,  Fla.,  30. 
Tatnall,    Joseph,   25. 
Thomas,    Lorenzo,    94. 

,  Major,   35,  65,   67. 

Thompson,   P.   H.,   68. 
Totten,   Jos.   G.,  92. 
Tower,   Z.  B.,   92. 
Tredger   Works,   92,    93. 
Tybee  Island,  5,   25. 

Wade,    Nicholas,    2. 

Walker,  L.  P.,  6,  7,  8,  90,  93. 

,   E.  M.,  80. 

,  W.  H.  T.,  23,  25,  26,  27. 

Walworth,  E.,  35,  52,  60. 
Wayne,   Gen.  H.,  2,  23,  25,  28. 
Webb,   The,    Steamer,   54. 
Weem,  Capt.,   52. 
Wheeler,   Jos.   G.,   13. 
Whiting,   W.    H.   C,   4,   89. 
Whistler,   J.   McN.,   V. 
Williamson,   Maj.,    65. 
Withers,  Gen.  J.  M.,  115. 
Worden,  Lieut.,  11,  90,  91,  96. 

Yandell,  Dr.,  60. 


